TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian has said over 57 percent of the country’s exports of technical-engineering services are done by the water and electricity sectors, IRNA reported on Monday.

As reported, since the electricity sector accounts for the lion’s share of Iran’s technical and engineering exports, and also given that Iranian companies’ presence in water projects of other countries (construction of dams, water, and wastewater treatment plants, and water transferring pipelines) is rising, Energy Ministry of Iran is seriously following up the objective of boosting technical and engineering services exports from electricity and water sectors.

According to the Association of Iranian Exporters of Technical and Engineering Services, Iran has the potential and capability to export technical and engineering services worth $25 billion every year.

Some Iranian companies including Mapna Group have already had a fruitful presence in the completion of infrastructure projects in several countries including Iraq and Oman. Syria is also an important destination for the export of Iranian technical and engineering services as the country needs reconstruction.

Back in October, the chairman of the executive board of the coordination council of the country's technical-engineering entities announced the government's plan to increase the export of technical and engineering goods and services to neighboring countries.

Ali Azad said that the export of technical-engineering services is the basis for the growth and development of the country and increases employment in industrial and construction activities.

Azad referred to the export of more than $4 billion of technical and engineering services in Iranian calendar year 1386 (March 2007-March 2008) and said: "Perhaps if this important issue had continued with the same correct order, today we would have reached an annual record of more than $20 billion in this field.”

Head of Iran’s Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) also said in early October that many of the countries in the region are seeking the Islamic Republic’s engineering and technical services and the country can provide them with such services.

“The 13th government’s major policy is to expand presence in target markets, and many countries in the region are looking for our engineering and industrial capabilities,” Masoud Mir-Kazemi said.

EF/MA