TEHRAN - Iranian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exported $1.5 billion worth of commodities in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 23), IRNA reported, quoting an official with Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO).

“The exports were conducted by 590 SMEs based in the country’s industrial parks,” ISIPO’s Market Development and International Affairs Manager Ahmad Javanmard said on the sidelines of a local event on SMEs and startups in Alborz Province.

Once SMEs are empowered, their exports would witness considerable growth of at least twofold, the official emphasized.

To this end, various measures have been taken by ISIPO, including identifying specialized, export intermediaries for helping small units further develop their exports, and forming an export consortium to support SMEs.

Back in August, the head of ISIPO announced that over 33,000 SMEs are currently active in Iran of which 1,100 are exporting their products and services to foreign destinations.

According to Mohsen Salehinia, currently, 43,650 SMEs are based in over 800 industrial parks across the country, of which nearly 78 percent or 33,800 are active.

One of the major programs that ISIPO is following regarding the SMEs is reviving idle units and helping them to get back into the business to increase the country’s domestic production and to boost exports to the neighboring countries.

Holding training courses, supporting SMEs' participation in international exhibitions, supporting SMEs research and study projects, and supporting knowledge-based SMEs are some other programs that ISIPO is following to help SMEs expand their activities, according to Salehinia.

EF/MA