TEHRAN- The head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced that 49 service vessels worth €134 million are now being built in the country relying on domestic production.

Ali-Akbar Safaei made the remarks in a press conference on Saturday.

The official also announced that development projects, such as the development of ports, worth 530 trillion rials (about $1.081 billion) are being implemented by the organization in the sea sector, and development projects worth 470 trillion rials (about $959 million) are being conducted by the private sector.

He said that some of these projects will be inaugurated in the current [Iranian calendar] year (began on March 21), and some of them will be put into operation next year.

The PMO head also announced that 30 projects worth 225 trillion rials (about $460 million) are underway for the development of port infrastructure, and 31 projects worth 39 trillion rials (about $79.5 million) are being implemented for the development of small ports.

Safaei further said that 82 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded at the country’s ports in the current year, showing 2.2 percent growth year on year, adding that container sector saw a growth of five percent as well.

Nearly 260 million tons of commodities have been loaded and unloaded at the ports of Iran during the past two year, he announced, and stated that 32,000 vessels have entered the country’s ports in the current year.

The official also underlined the issue of maritime economy, and said that the studies related to the maritime economy comprehensive plan have been started 6-7 months ago.

According to the PMO head, this organization has been named as the body in charge of realizing the country’s maritime economy goals.

In this regard, the parliament has also prepared the necessary legal basis in the maritime sector to increase the share of the sea economy in the country's economic growth, he said.

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 the 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).