According to the International Exhibition of Iranian Stone, the 11th session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly started its activities on June 27 this year. In such a situation, it is necessary to examine the legal shortcomings and flaws in the legislature, as it could prevent the continuation of past mistakes and new mistakes in this area.

At the same time, the special circumstances that have overshadowed the country's economy, such as the intensification of international sanctions and the unprecedented decline in oil sales, the significant drop in oil prices, and the recession caused by the Coronavirus epidemic, have made parliamentary activity more sensitive.

In such a situation, it is expected that the elected members of the House of Nation will provide the ground for economic growth by understanding the situation correctly and taking into account the remaining capacities for the country. To explore the effects of legislation on mining and mining industries as one of the remaining hopes in the country's economy, we spoke with Mehdi Karbasian, the former head of Iran's Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (Imidro). You can read the full text of this conversation below.

What do the activists of the mining and mining industries expect from the members of the 11th parliament?

The existence of rich mineral reserves is one of the most important capacities in the country, which provides the ground for the growth of mining industries and economic development in the country. Explaining the wealth of mineral resources in Iran, it can be said that despite the limited discoveries that have been made in recent years, which are limited to superficial information, Iran is ranked in the top ten countries in the world in terms of mineral reserves. Therefore, we can hope that with the implementation of deep exploration activities, the amount of these growth reserves will be significant and we will be ranked higher. In addition, it must be acknowledged that there are a total of sixty-four types of minerals in Iran. Iran has significant energy reserves, including huge gas and coal reserves. In fact, the combination of minerals and energy resources has provided our country with an extraordinary advantage, which leads to the further development of the mining industry. Many of the world's mineral-rich countries, such as Australia, are deprived of energy reserves, and are often exporters of raw minerals. However, considering the above-mentioned advantages, activity in the field of mining and mining industries in Iran has a lot of work to do. Mining and its related industries can become one of the country's development hubs and generate high value-added revenue. This sector can also be considered in the implementation of resistance economy policies. Considering that self-reliance and economic independence was one of the basic principles of the victory of the Iranian Revolution in 1978, it is possible to use the capacities of the mining sector to improve the performance in this sector. However, over the years, these capacities have not been used well, because the shadow of oil revenues has overshadowed the country's economy in the first place. Unfortunately, the shadow of politicians has also weighed on the country's economy. Populism has been driven. This has made the economy in the mining sector and its related industries less efficient. Under such circumstances, expert dealing with mining activities and therefore expert work in this area is not done. Therefore, at the beginning of the activity of the 11th parliament, the representatives of the House of Nation are expected to organize their activities towards this sector with a correct understanding of the conditions and attention to the capacities of this field.

How much do the decisions of the public and non-expert laws affect the performance of industries? In your opinion, how much of the country's laws that apply to the mining industry are true?

The number of laws in most areas in our country is much higher than the needs of that sector. The mining and mining industries are also facing a lot of laws. Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly hold three public sessions each week, during which either the law is passed or previous laws are monitored. In this way, the laws that are immature or that have not been carefully written are corrected. However, in many countries, the legislative process is different. In a country like China, the legislature meets only a few times a year. Deputies spend several months in specialized commissions drafting a law. They prepare comprehensive and complete laws and then bring them to the parliament for voting. Another of our legal problems in the mining sector and related industries is the accumulation of laws. In such a situation, it is expected that the members of the new parliament will consider these shortcomings in view of these challenges during their tenure, so that they can focus on the right path during this period.

How much does the acquisition of MPs' awareness of the concerns of mining industry activists affect their performance?

It is important for parliamentarians to be aware of the concerns of mining activists. Providing capital is one of the major challenges for mining and related industries, especially as production in this sector requires significant capital. However, unfortunately, the laws often make it more difficult for capitalists, especially foreign investors, to be present. Activities in the area in question are associated with a variety of environmental and social risks. At the same time, in many cases, despite the investment made, due to the unfavorable mining quality, the desired result is not achieved. Weak infrastructure, especially transportation, is another issue that makes it difficult to operate in this sector and will face a variety of risks. Therefore, the representatives are expected to prioritize their activities in the field of mining and mining industries with the correct understanding of these conditions. The required budget should be allocated to exploration activities in order to provide the ground for the growth of these industries. It is necessary for lawmakers and related industries to pass tax exemption laws for a period of four to five years from the start of their business, leading to capital inflows into the market. In addition, the government is expected to block emotional decisions such as market control and exchange rates. These measures are an obstacle to exports and challenge the continuation of activities in this sector.

How do you assess the role of the parliament in completing the value added in the mining industry?

Due to the country's mineral reserves, the development of activities in the field of mining and related industries and the creation of increased value in this sector has become a priority for the country's economy. The Islamic Consultative Assembly can provide support for mining and mining industries, and thus take fundamental steps to complete the added value. Failure to pass laws frequently is one of the things that should be taken into consideration by those who do not return so that peace can return to this area. One of the main bottlenecks in the development of the value chain of the mining industry is the provision of capital. However, foreign investors are interested in participating. Therefore, the presence of foreign investors to operate in this field should be facilitated and accelerated by the adoption of special laws. Trustees and policymakers must acknowledge that we have a shortage of capital, and that this challenge must be addressed by facilitating legislation. The lack of new technologies has become another major challenge in this area. We are facing a historical setback in the use of new technologies; Therefore, we must enable the presence of reputable international companies in Iran. Undoubtedly, the implementation of part of the task depends on political and international interactions, despite international sanctions. But with the cooperation between the government and the parliament, we can hope to facilitate the presence of technology companies in the country. The increasing profitability of the producers of the mining industry provides the ground for attracting capital to this sector and creating more and more value in this field; Therefore, the parliament should pave the way for this by understanding the current situation of the country.