According to Iran's International Stone Exhibition, Ahmad Sharifi said Tuesday at the inaugural ceremony of the 11th International Stone Exhibition: "The stone industry chain is a key mine and two thousand and seven thousand industrial units in the field of stone with a capacity of twenty-seven million tons. The country is active, with a global value of more than $ 3 billion.

He said: In the stone processing sector there is a production capacity of one hundred and eighty million square meters of product worth twenty dollars per meter in the country which needs strengthening.

Despite the country's ability in the field of national mineral resource reserves, it can generate up to $ 7 billion in wealth, but with a capacity of twenty-seven million tonnes, the active stone industry now has only ten million tonnes of ore. The country is produced.

Sharifi said that the capacity of the license in 2012 and 2013 is about one hundred and forty million square meters registered, while the current level of exploitation has reached 60 million square meters, which means the country's stone processing capacity is between sixty million tons. .

He added: Six million tonnes of processed stone are exported annually from the country, including one million tonnes of raw stone and copper export blocks in the seven million tonnes complex.

The secretary of the Iranian Association of Stone considered this amount of exports insignificant given the country's high capacity in national stone capital, adding: "There are six thousand processing units in the country, with 500 units potentially producing and exporting capacity and one hundred and fifty export units. Complication of export weakness should be scientifically done.

Sharifi said investment in the ore sector was negligible, adding that the investment in each ore mine was estimated at seven billion riyals, while it required capital to equip forty billion riyals.

He said that the country's stone industry faces difficulties in engineering design, supply of suitable machinery, management and training. Closed.

The secretary of the Iranian Stone Association noted: The National Stone Industry Policy Council approved last year to calculate government salaries based on mining rates, which was not met with the approval of the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade.

"The prospect of export-led mining has been raised, but none has been implemented so far," he said.

The secretary of the Iranian Stone Association called for government support for investors and facilitation of the stone export sector, stressing that the ministry's view of the stone industry should be supported.

Director of Mines Investment Insurance Fund also said in the ceremony: Seventy-seventy billion riyals of facilities last year was paid to the stone, mining, processing and exploration sectors.

Farid Dehghani added: "The amount of facilities paid for the implementation of the four hundred and five projects in the field of stone industry has been negligible given the potential of this national capital."

He said: The country's mining investment insurance fund covers the risk of exploration, prices and fluctuations, changes in laws that lead to mining losses and assisted processing and re-preparation technology, and the benefit of facilities for stone processing units at 8 percent. .

Dehghani added: "The fund is ready to sign a contract and provide resources for the purchase and improvement of the country's mineral machinery."

The head of the Iranian Mining House also said in this ceremony: Mining without environmental considerations is pointless and the mining area is trying to have effective environmental attachments because today's society needs clean and air-free activity.

Mohammad Reza Bahraman added: "The country's share of the export market is limited and attention to the export of mineral products is very important, which should be targeted to enhance the export share of the program."

He explained: Iran is a young country in investment and has a favorable environment for strengthening investment infrastructure, and in this regard, the private sector should do the necessary standardization.

The head of Iran's mining house noted that investment in the mining sector, given the current conditions, has an important role in improving the business environment and production sector. Bahramman said special attention is required to the laws of the mining sector and transparency needs to be created to minimize investment challenges.

He emphasized that proper implementation of the laws and regulations will provide a favorable environment for the production and supply of decorative stones in world markets.

The head of Iran's mining house said that valuable wealth has been given to Iran in the form of stone mines, the optimal efficiency of which depends on the development of the processing and export industry.

Bahramman pointed to the capacity of Mahallat city in the stone basin and continued: Mineral tourism is an issue that has found its place and Mahallat city can play an effective role in this regard by having appropriate capacities.

Bahramman said: Mahallat has good capacity in decorative stone and travertine and measures should be taken to increase its share in stone investment and export.

He explained that achieving the goals of a resilient economy in the field of mines requires implementing solutions, and for example Turkey has been active in all areas of construction stone since its existence in 1976, while having less capacity.

Hepco said that at present, Hepco is producing 30% of the machinery needed for decorative stones and needs serious support.

The International Stone Exhibition of Iran is set up in an area of ​​ninety thousand square meters including twenty thousand square meters of indoor space and seventy thousand square meters of open space. At the Exhibition's three hundred and fifty booths, the latest achievements in the field of mineral and decorative stone in the fields of stone processing, quarries, mining machinery, excavators, mining and specialized machinery and other related industries Is on display. The Neighborhood Stone Exhibition is open until September 20th.

* IRNA