According to the International Exhibition of Iranian Stone, Gholamreza Nazparvar stated: "People who were working in the mines had less problems than other industries due to the open space and observance of health protocols." We announced the protocols that the University of Medical Sciences communicated to us twice, to all the miners, and fortunately they suffered less damage than Corona.

He added: "In the beginning, when health protocols and instructions were not issued, it was a bit difficult to carry out activities, but after April, they came to terms with this issue and continued their activities with a plan." Also, the exploiters, both in the mining sector and in the mining industry, helped the University of Medical Sciences to purchase 20 billion tomans of equipment, half of which has been realized so far.

Reviving the smallest mine in the province will employ 20 people

Regarding passive and stagnant mines in Khorasan Razavi, Nazparvar said: "In this case, our mines are divided into two parts." We have mines that need to be put up for auction. On the other hand, there are mines that are inactive for reasons such as lack of proper infrastructure, sales problems, incomplete exploration, and so on.

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Mining House continued: "To solve this issue, a plan was formed in the country called the revival of small-scale mines, which has not been well implemented in Khorasan Razavi yet." Iran Minerals Production Company has implemented this issue well in several provinces, but because we have many inactive mines in the province, this issue must be implemented in Khorasan Razavi. If we can activate our smallest mine, it will directly create jobs for 20 people, it will definitely be indirectly more than that.

Khorasan Razavi has not had a mineral auction for more than a year

He said: "We have a major problem in the auction section, which according to the law, the inquiries of these areas should be taken from natural resources and other devices and then put up for auction." Unfortunately, we have a large dam called Natural Resources that does not respond to inquiries in a timely manner. Khorasan Razavi has not had a mining auction for more than a year, and it is only because we are waiting for a response to the inquiries to be sent to us. We also informed the governor's economic deputy and the head of the Samat organization that the Khorasan Razavi Mining House is ready to provide any assistance for screening and inquiries.

"Currently, the number of inactive mines that need to be rehabilitated is more than 300, and we also have more than 400 mines for auction," Nazparvar said. If these mines are activated in Khorasan Razavi, there will be a lot of job creation and the average mines will have more than fifty jobs. According to the slogan of production jump this year, the empathy between the agencies should be increased and it should be made clear to other agencies that job creation is more important in areas deprived of other issues.

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Mining House added: "The multiplicity of laws has complicated this issue." The Natural Resources Organization and the Ministry of Industry and Mines each have their own guidelines, although we are less likely to see this in Khorasan Razavi than in other provinces. As far as we know, the Mining House has announced its readiness and cooperation in reviving inactive mines and auctions for small and medium-sized mines, if delegated. Unfortunately, no request has been made from the Mining House in this regard, and it has only been discussed.

Eighty-five percent of investments last year were in the mining industry

He added: "We need a practical and executive action in this regard." As soon as these mines are activated, the mining industry will be activated immediately. Last year, eighty-five percent of investment in the province was in the mining industry. Due to the minerals and potentials that exist in the province, the mining industry has been formed, so we recommend that practical measures be accelerated in this sector so that these mines can be more active in the province.

Nazparvar clarified about the measures and programs for the development of mines and mineral industries and the issuance of new exploitation licenses this year: these steps are done according to the routine. After registering the area, the exploiters encounter a natural resource barrier in some cases, and in some cases, highways, housing and urban development. The biggest problem is due to natural resource guidelines.

In the face of sanctions, the launch of each mine alone will make a difference

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Mining House continued: "The Council of Mines or the Provincial Tactical Committee should enter into this field and resolve the disputes as soon as possible so that we can take advantage of these mines." In the face of sanctions and economic pressures, the launch of any mine alone will make a difference, but unfortunately everyone is stuck behind the barrier of natural resource guidelines.

"We have to solve the problem of auctions," he said. There are investors, but they are having trouble getting an exploration license. Regarding the problems of small-scale mine recovery, the Iranian Minerals Distribution and Distribution Company must be taken seriously. The meeting was held in September last year, but no other meeting has been held since then, except in special cases where we have corresponded with the company and activated about four or five mines.

Nazarpoor added: "This process requires a serious will. Samat Organization should also cooperate with us to screen for these problems. The best thing to do is to activate stagnant mines, which are more than seven hundred. Khorasan Razavi is a mineral province. We are the hub of iron, iron ore, concentrate and pellet production. In Iran, no other region produces this volume of concentrate and pellet capacity as much as Khaf iron ore. The recently opened projects also added five million tons to the province's pelletizing capacity, which will be fed to steel units.

Fifty percent of the mining industry accounts have not been transferred to the province

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Mining House said about keeping the accounts of mines and mining industries in the province: "We had three meetings in the province's mining council that this action will definitely take place in the province." Some mines and the mining industry have transferred their accounts to the province, but this has not yet happened completely, and more than fifty percent of the accounts remain to be transferred to the province. The governor, the deputy governor and the Samat organization are following up on this issue to determine the financial turnover of these resources within the province.

Referring to the help of the mine in the current economic situation of the country, he stated: small and medium mines can have the largest share in the development of the mining and entrepreneurship sector. Large mines are usually owned by large and capitalist companies, but small and medium-sized mines can be found for investors. Many people are also interested in working in this field.

Nazparvar added: "Special attention should be paid to this issue." The mine is not something that enters Iran from abroad. There are all the mines in Iran, we just have to activate and revive them. After extracting and supplying raw materials for Iranian factories, the issue of raw material sales or processing is raised. Processing makes sense when we want to export these raw materials outside of Iran, while factories inside the country need these raw materials. It is not something that an organization can do. Everyone should come to work and help and be examined in a special committee. We have even proposed this issue to the governor and announced our readiness to revive small mines and scale the governor's office, because in addition to the necessary expertise in this field, we also have sufficient manpower.

The head of the Khorasan Razavi Mining House, regarding the amount of exports of the mining industry, said: "This year, there is definitely an export and return of currency." We have the best minerals with good quality and high variety, and iron ore is just one of them. We have about forty-six types of minerals in Khorasan Razavi, but this diversity does not exist in any province. We have mines that can produce more than domestic consumption. So surplus consumption must be exported.

The machines of our mining sector are over thirty years old

Referring to the problems of the Mining House, he clarified: "This year, we have received instructions that have not been communicated to us yet." Our mining machinery is worn out and is over thirty years old. According to the guidelines, exploiters would be able to import five- and ten-year-old machinery into the mine with their mining licenses. They seem to be reconsidering this, but they must hurry. Currently, it is difficult to operate with worn-out machines. They are not machines that are all made in Hepco. This issue must be taken seriously and implemented soon.

Recognize the Mining Industry Organization

Nazparvar said: "We expect the Industrial Organization to recognize the scope of work of the mine and to have more support for the mining house." In the ministry, the organization and the chamber of commerce, the mining sector and the mining industry are not separated. Unfortunately, we overlap with the House of Industry and Mines, where they have no expertise and no mining expert on their board, so they interfere a little bit with our work and make us look weak. The Mining House is the only organization for which duties have been considered in the law, but unfortunately in Khorasan Razavi this issue has diminished and not enough support has been formed for the Mining House. We expect the Ministry of Industry and the governorate to support it.

* ISNA