TABRIZ, East Azarbaijan Province Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) Alinaqi Khamoushi said here Saturday that Iran, with a per capita GNP of $1,300 annually, has to raise its exports to $80 billion annually.
Speaking at the sixth seminar to promote non-oil exports, he added, "We should pay heed to the practical aspects of exports and not concern ourselves with short term domestic and international events." He added that in recent years the country has faced periods of stagflation and based on official figures the price of goods have registered 26.9 percent average annual growth.
Non-liquidation of goods by the producers has resulted in a serious liquidity crisis, the ICCIM official said.
"In this situation, if there is a push for boosting production, it would lead to inventory pile up and uptake in prices and the only solution is to turn to international markets for exports", he added.
Khamoushi said private sector should be allowed to have access to international financing.
He stated currently, the majority of oil and gas projects are contracted by the foreign countries and qualified domestic companies are prevented from participating in the tasks due to lack of financing.
He said there is no system in Iran which can effectively handle foreign financing for private sector.
Meanwhile, Vice President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) Alaeddin Mirmohammad Sadeqi here Sunday regretted the present low number of unions in the production and distribution sector, which currently stands at 40, and added that the figure should rise to 500 during the Third Five-Year Development Plan (2000-2005).
Addressing the 6th Conference on Promotion of Non-Oil Exports in this provincial capital, he said that expansion of professional unions is a prerequisite for putting the private sector's economic activities in order.
He said as long as the country keeps away from international standards and lacks special guarantor to safeguard the rights of manufacturers, the idea of a gaining access to international markets will not be a rightful expectation.
He said holding gatherings and formulation of regulations in the economic sector simply lays down the policies. But, he stressed, what is important is the production of high quality goods and competing in international markets.
The ICCIM vice president pointed to the risks of a single-commodity export and called for the formation of professional unions on a wider scale.
He underlined the need to preserve the country's economic interests.
Ms. Mahindokht Kazemi, an economist, elaborated on the impacts of inflationary economy on exports while Hossein Pirasteh, a lecturer at Isfahan University, enumerated the advantages of packaging in the promotion of exports.
The 6th Conference on Promotion of Non-Oil Exports opened in Tabriz on Saturday.
(IRNA)