TEHRAN – Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry data show that 680 mining operation licenses have been issued in the previous Iranian calendar year 1399 (March 20, 2020-March 20, 2021) to register an 18.1-percent increase compared to the preceding year.

Based on the mentioned data, 576 licenses had been issued in the Iranian calendar year 1398, IRIB reported.

During the previous year, 1,020 mineral exploration licenses were also issued in the country, which in comparison with 960 licenses issued in the year 1398, a 6.3-percent increase is registered in this sector.

As reported, the inaugurated mines have created job opportunities for 5,516 people in the previous year, 15.4 percent more than the figure for the preceding year.

Expenses for exploration operations also increased by 39.5 percent in 1399 compared to its preceding year; accordingly, the cost of exploration operations last year was 1.549 trillion rials (about $36.8 million) while the figure was 1.111 trillion rials (about $26.4 million) in 1398.

Earlier this month, Head of the explorations department of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) Ali Asgharzadeh had announced the identification of 1,700 new promising mineral zones across the country.

In the past few years with new resilient economy strategies coming into play, the mining sector has become a major point of focus for the Iranian government and various organizations and bodies active in this sector have been tasked to implement new programs for boosting this sector.

As a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in the country, IMIDRO has been playing a significant part in the mentioned planning.

The organization has been implementing several new programs in all the main fields of the mining industry including exploration, machinery development, extraction and also reviving the country’s idle mines.

According to the IMIDRO head, the organization has put the development of mines and mining industries on the agenda with three main strategies: increasing exploration operations, developing infrastructure, and reviving the country’s idle small-scale mines.

EF/MA