TEHRAN – Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry has managed to revive 434 idle small-scale mines throughout the country during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20), the director of the ministry’s program for reviving idle mines said.

Abbas Jorjani has also announced that the ministry revived 1,286 idle small-scale mines throughout the country over the past four years.

According to the official, since the Iranian calendar year 1398 (ended in March 2020) when the mentioned program was officially started, over 17,100 job opportunities have also been created in the revived mines.

Over 146 mines were revived in the first year of the program and the number reached 235, 453, and 434 in the second, third and fourth years, respectively, Jorjani told IRNA.

The Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry’s program for reviving small mines across the country was unveiled in late March 2019 and put into effect a year later.

The most important goal of this program, which is being implemented by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), is to activate the country's mines, which will result in increased production and employment, especially in deprived areas.

Back in December 2021, Reza Azimi, the former director of the said program, had mentioned concluding 37 memorandums of understanding (MOU) for investment, and scientific-research cooperation with knowledge-based companies, as well as the introduction of 124 projects to Mining Investment Insurance Corporation for receiving facilities, and the support and coaching of knowledge-based companies and startups as other measures taken under the framework of the mentioned program.

As reported, IMIDRO is conducting the program with the aim of providing feedstock for mineral industries, increasing production and completing the mining industry’s product chain, and developing and creating sustainable employment.

Following this program, so far various small-scale mines including chromite, manganese, hematite, dolomite, iron ore, copper, and construction stone mines have been surveyed by monitoring and diagnosing the problems of the mines and providing solutions for resolving their issues.

Over the past few years with new resilient economy strategies coming into play, the mining sector has become a major point of focus for the Iranian government, and various organizations and bodies active in this sector have been tasked to implement new programs for boosting this sector.

As a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in the country, IMIDRO has been playing a significant part in the mentioned planning.

The organization has been implementing several new programs in all the main fields of the mining industry including exploration, machinery development, extraction, and also reviving the country’s idle mines.

MA