TEHRAN - Deputy Head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Jalil Eslami said his organization has managed to attract 700 trillion rials (about $1.4 billion) of foreign and domestic investment in the country’s ports, IRNA reported.

According to Eslami, 200 trillion rials (about $400 million) of the mentioned figure is going to be invested by the country’s private sector and the rest is supplied by foreign investors.

Underlining the government’s serious determination for the development of the country’s maritime economy, the official said: “In this regard, a conference dubbed maritime-oriented development is going to be held by the PMO on the occasion of National Transportation Day on December 19.”

Referring to the 13th government’s measures to increase the loading and unloading capacity of the country's ports, he stated: “The realization of the general policies of maritime-oriented development requires the synergy of all executive, government and maritime bodies.”

While Iran is combating the U.S. unilateral sanctions on its economy, the country’s ports as the major gates of exports and imports play a significant role in this battle. This role makes all-out support to ports and more development of them serious and vital.

Such necessity has led the government to define projects for more development of the ports and also take some measures to encourage investment making in ports, in addition to facilitating the loading and unloading of goods, especially basic commodities, there.

It is worth mentioning that Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization has defined a high number of projects to develop and improve the country’s ports, as the country aims to double the capacity of its ports in a course of five years.

According to the PMO, the capacity of the country's ports has increased from 180 million tons in the Iranian calendar year 1392 (ended in March 2014) to 250 million tons in 1399 (ended in March 2021).

EF/MA