TEHRAN – Based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Iran Post Company and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, all parcels containing handicraft products will get a 30- percent discount on postage.

The MOU was inked on Monday by the deputy tourism minister Pouya Mahmoudian and the post company’s managing director Ramezan-Ali Sobhanifar.

The valuable work of the post company at a time when crafters are facing several problems and difficulties due to the outbreak of the coronavirus shows the company’s support for Iranian art and handicrafts, Mahmoudian said.

She also expressed hope that this cooperation could lead to good results and boost the sales of handicrafts as well as promoting them more properly.

Sobhanifar, for his part, said that such cooperation is in the national interest, which could help to develop the handicraft sector.

Cooperation in holding general and specialized training workshops, cooperation to attend international exhibitions and events, and designing personal stamps are also among the provisions of this memorandum.

Back in August, Mahmoudian said that the handicraft industry and related businesses across the country have suffered a loss of 19,000 billion rials (some $452 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The outbreak of coronavirus was one of the events that caused a lot of damage to the art of handicrafts in the country so that since the [Iranian] month of Esfand, last year, all handicraft markets have been closed and no exhibitions have been held in this area.”

According to Mahmoudian, Iran globally ranks first in terms of having the topmost number of world cities [and villages] of handicrafts. “Some 295 fields of handicrafts are currently practiced across Iran with more than two million people engaging, majority of whom are women… Handicrafts also play an important role in the economy in our rural villages.”

The Islamic Republic exported $523 million worth of handicrafts during the past calendar year 1398 (ended March 19), of the figure, some $273 million worth of handicrafts were exported officially through customs, and about $250 million was earned via suitcase trade through various provinces, according to data compiled by the ministry of tourism.

ABU/MG