TEHRAN- Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry has issued permits for the establishment of 26 industrial and mining research centers in the country during the past Iranian calendar year 1398 (ended on March 19), according to an official with the ministry.

Mehrdad Safavi Farokhi, the acting director-general of Training and Research Department of the ministry, said that permits have been also issued for the establishment of 335 technical and engineering services export units in the previous year, which was 4.3 percent more than the permits issued in its preceding year, IRNA reported.

As previously announced by the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry, during the previous Iranian calendar year, 27,947 permits were issued for establishing new industrial units which mark a 14.2-percent increase year on year.

More than 3.63 quadrillion rials (about $86.52 billion) were invested for setting up the mentioned units which shows a 26-percent rise compared to the preceding year.

These units were expected to create job opportunities for 633,381 people, 14.2 percent more than the figure for the year 1397 (ended on March 20, 2019).

In the past year, the number of permits that were issued for the newly established industrial units to start operation also increase by 2.9 percent year on year.

The investment in the newly established units increased 5.3 percent compared to the preceding year, while job creation by the mentioned units fell 1.2 percent.

The average investment in the mentioned sector also increased from 102.1 billion rials (about $2.43 million) in 1397 to 104.5 billion rials (nearly $2.5 million) in 1398.

In April, the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry outlined its major programs for supporting the domestic production in the current calendar year.

The ministry’s programs included supporting the country’s industrial units and facilitating permit issuances in order to promote domestic production and non-oil exports.

MA/MA