TEHRAN – Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Reza Fatemi-Amin has said the government plans to hand over 5,000 state-owned mines to the private sector via tender within the next three months, Fars News Agency reported.

Visiting a coal mine in Golestan Province on Saturday, Fatemi-Amin said: “5,000 state-owned mines will be offered to people [the private sector] for the first time in the form of a tender with the aim of optimally using the capacities of the private sector for improving production and employment.”

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had enough explorations over the past few years, but since the end of last year, special work has been started in this regard and it has been decided that until the end of [the Iranian calendar year] 1403 (March 2025) the exploration work should be completed in many provinces,” the minister said.

“In this regard, the exploration in South Khorasan province was started and completed, and now exploration projects are underway in Kordestan, Kermanshah, and West Azarbaijan, and we will develop the work quickly,” he added.

Fatemi-Amin mentioned the production of mining machinery as a major challenge in this sector and said: “Over the past years, not enough machines have been produced in the mining sector, which has caused us to face a decrease in production, and for this reason, from the beginning of this year special works have been started in this regard.”

He further pointed to the importance of the processing of mineral products and said: “In the Industry Ministry, a department called the office of advanced industries has been created which tries to expand the work in the field of mining beyond the production of raw materials and into the processing section towards the production of advanced products.”

According to the official, Iranian mines currently sell less than one percent of their products in the form of raw materials.

EF/MA

Photo: Industry Minister Reza Fatemi-Amin talks to the press on the sidelines of a visit to Razi Mine in Golestan Province on Saturday.