Business

Iran Revives 17 Idle Industrial Units In Qom Province In 6 Months

As announced by an Iranian provincial official, 17 idle industrial units returned to the production cycle in Qom province, central Iran, in the first six months of the current calendar year March 21-Septemebr 22. Mahmood Seyjani, the head of Industry, Mining and Trade Department of Qom province, said that these units being revived have created jobs for 183 persons. He said that 1.319 trillion rials (about US$ 31.4 million) has been invested for reviving the units. The units that have been revived are in the textile, steel, construction, automotive paints, stone cutting, mineral chemicals, sectors. Technology change, attracting new investors, improving the market, launching a new line and producing a new product have been important factors in reviving the 17 stagnant industrial units in the first six months of this year, according to the official. As announced by the head of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO), in the last Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), 1,557 stagnant and semi-active units returned to the production cycle in the industrial parks with a financing of 35 trillion rials (over US$ 833 million), providing employment for 27,000 people. With the aim of reactivating stagnant units or units that are operating below capacity, 900 consultants from the private sector and knowledge-based companies were selected in the form of industry clinics across the country to recognise the weaknesses of these units, Ali Rasoulian has previously stated. Iran’s industrial sector grew by more than 7% last year. The country set up over 6,500 new industrial units during the past year which created jobs for over 121,000 people. The current year has been named as the year of “Production: support and the elimination of obstacles” by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. According to the official, there are over 46,000 small and medium-sized industrial units in Iran’s industrial parks and zones, of them about 9,200 units are inactive. In late September, the ISIPO head announced the allocation of 10,000 hectares of land for the development and construction of industrial parks across the country. According to Rasoulian, new industrial parks are mainly planned to be constructed in under-developed regions of the country. The parks, which face over 2000 litres of water deficit, will use municipal wastewater. Iran’s industrial parks play a significant role in making the country independent through boosting production, which is a major strategy of Iran to combat the US sanctions. In fact, strengthening domestic production to achieve self-reliance is the most important programme that Iran is following in its industry sector in a bid to nullify the effects of the US sanctions on its economy.