TEHRAN- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday inaugurated three major industrial and mining projects worth 26.95 trillion rials (about $641.66 million) via video conference concurrent with the Government Week (August 23-29), IRNA reported.

The projects, which were put into operation in Yazd, Fars, and Kordestan provinces in the tenth week of implementing the “Persistent Production-Effective Employment-Sustainable Exports” program in the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 20), create direct jobs for 950 people.

The mentioned projects are for the production of sponge iron and gold bars, as well as the manufacturing of tow trucks in the mentioned provinces.

Based on the “Persistent Production-Effective Employment-Sustainable Exports” program, which is being implemented by the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry in the current year, 200 industrial, mining, and trade projects valued at 1.7 quadrillion rials (about $40.47 billion) have been planned to be inaugurated across the country, creating direct job opportunities for 41,000 people.

According to the deputy industry, mining, and trade minister for industry affairs, completing semi-finished industrial projects, and boosting the production of active units are the main goals of the ministry in the current Iranian calendar year.

“This year, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade has identified four axes as the priorities for its programs, one of which is completing semi-finished projects and increasing the production capacity of active units,” Mehdi Sadeqi Niaraki has said.

The official also mentioned the ministry’s plans for reviving idle production units and said: "Based on this program, which has been planned by the ministry and is being pursued by Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO), reviving 1,500 industrial units in the current year is on the agenda."

“Since the beginning of this year, more than 381 units with the capacity to restore employment for more than 10,000 people have returned to the production cycle,” Niaraki said.

Since the year start, the Industry Ministry has been inaugurating several industrial, mining, or trade projects in various provinces every week.

The ministry’s “Persistent Production-Effective Employment-Sustainable Exports” program was implemented following the Energy Ministry’s A-B-Iran scheme which kicked off last year and is continuing in the current year.

MA/MA