TEHRAN- As stated by the chairman of Mines and Mining Industries Committee of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), to meet the needs of miners in the country, at least 5,000 mining machineries should be imported.

Ebrahim Jalili said: “We want that the import of mining machinery be liberated”, adding, “I believe it is better to do this as a group and by forming a special consortium to import these machineries. Because in this case, their final price will be about 50 percent cheaper.”

Reiterating that at least 5,000 mining machines should be imported to solve the problems of the miners, he continued: “The necessary infrastructure for the import of these machines is also ready and the parliament and the government should help to solve this problem as soon as possible.”

He also pointed out the necessity of providing spare parts for mining machines and stated: “In addition to imports, the supply of parts for these machines should also be taken into consideration so that the original parts and not counterfeit parts will be provided for the miners.”

Having 81 different types of minerals, Iran is one of the top 10 mineral-rich countries across the globe. In this regard, the Iranian government is pursuing several programs for promoting the mining sector as a major contributor to the country’s economic growth.

But despite these programs, this sector is facing several challenges.

According to a report released in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20) by the Research Center of the parliament, the challenges of the mining sector are 44 percent related to laws and the lack of a long and clear mining strategy, 33 percent are related to mismanagement and problems of miners, 13 percent to environmental and natural resources problems, and 10 percent are related to international problems.

Lack of machinery is also a major challenge in the mining sector.

According to a board member of the ICCIMA: “At present, due to the shortage of these machines, purchase prices have skyrocketed and, in addition, their rents have become very expensive. At these prices, it is not profitable for small and medium-sized mines to rent machinery and become active. Finally, the miner has the mine and the raw material, but it is not economical due to the expensive operation of the machinery”.

Removing such problems and limitations can lead to the development of mining sector, which can play a noticeable part in economic development of the country.

MA/MA