TEHRAN – The Deputy Minister of Handicrafts has said, “We are compiling a rescue plan for handicrafts sector to cover various areas particularly in economic field.”

Maryam Jalali-Dehkordi told IRNA that the rescue plan includes several chapters for completing the value chain of Persian handicrafts. “We started corresponding with various agencies. We hope the plan can increase convergence of all agencies to materialize eight-percent growth, increase jobs and exports in line with National Handicrafts Document.”
She called Caspian Sea littoral states and Persian Gulf countries as Iran’s main goals for exports.
Stressing that this year has been named as Year of Investment in Production, she called handicrafts as the most important cultural product. Because, it covers identity, economy, society and social cohesion, she added.
According to management officials, handicrafts are the blue ocean of business and there are eager customers for them, she said. 
Implementation of this project depends on convergence in the Cabinet, she added.
She continued, “We are also discussing banking facilities in the High Employment Council and hope that they will become operational in the near future.”
Regarding the quality of handicraft products, she said: “We need to create a market, conduct market research, and actually draw customers.”
“We have artisans, industrialists and merchants. In fact, the project is to boost the handicrafts market.” 
Available data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran’s annual handicraft exports currently stand at about $250 million, with an additional $250 million in informal “suitcase” exports. However, the global market for handicrafts is valued at $770 billion, underscoring a significant opportunity for growth.
Currently, a selection of 13 cities and three villages in Iran have been registered by the World Council of Handicrafts as “world cities of handicrafts.”

KD