According to the International Iranian Stone Exhibition, the secretary of the Iranian Stone Association pointed out that the legal authority of the heads of forces to receive duties from the export of mineral stones was until the end of 1398 and in practice should not have been applied in 1399, but customs still implements it. He said: The tolls that are applied are against the law and not only for decorative stones that include all mineral stones. Based on this, we have filed a complaint with the Court of Administrative Justice a few months ago and the investigation process is underway.

Ahmad Sharifi, in response to why the matter went to the Court of Administrative Justice, said: "Unfortunately, the then Deputy Minister of Mines of the Ministry of Industry (Jafar Sarghini) insisted on imposing duties on the export of mineral ores and did so at any cost." But now the Deputy Minister of Mines, the Chairman of Imidro, the Chairman of the Trade Development Organization and even the current Minister of Industry, although they admit that the instructions are wrong, but due to the long cycle of bureaucracy and conflicting ideas, we try and talk to different people in different positions. We show them the documents that it is illegal and no one dares to issue an order to cancel it.

Sharifi continued by pointing out that the Ministry of Industry was in charge of this circular and when it expired, it should have revoked it. His ministry revoked the directive it had issued at the end of its term, which it had not done. After him, the next two supervisors, namely the street school and Sarghini, did not do this, and now that Razm Hosseini has reached the ministry, our concern has increased.

The secretary of the Iranian Stone Association explains the reason for the concern of stone exporters: One of the problems of Razm Hosseini is that he still retains Sarghini as his senior consultant in the mining sector, so Sarghini is not allowed due to his view on the issue of stone export duties. Let Razm Hosseini realize the legal facts and cancel this decree.

$ 10 million in illegal income

Sharifi explains about the problems that this decree has created for stone exporters: Due to this circular, in 1398, compared to 1397, on average, the export of various types of stones decreased by 20%. This 20% decrease has continued this year, and my prediction is that by the end of this year, we will have a 30 to 40% drop in stone exports compared to 1997.

In response to whether the imposition of these duties had an effect on the loss of Iran's export markets, he said: "Considering the conditions of the country's sanctions, which were the most effective factor in banning the receipt of money, sending goods and ،, the exporter is under pressure in every way." Now, with all these international problems, we are facing the conditions of self-sanctions. Whereas when a government realizes that a superpower is standing up to a nation, its decisions should not be in the direction of that superpower, but internal decisions should neutralize some of the problems created by the sanctions.

Regarding the amount of illegal government revenue, the secretary of the Iranian Stone Association noted that the expiration date of the stone export duties has not been repealed: until 1397, one million tons of stones were exported annually, which has now reached about 700,000 tons per year based on the base export price. It has reached about $ 50 million in a year, and including 20% ​​of export duties, the government's customs revenue will reach $ 10 million by the end of 1399.

The country's mining sector in captivity is a perspective

In response to why Sarghini is interested in imposing export duties on stone, Sharifi said: "Sarghini believes that he is more expert than all experts in all fields of mining, and he is now seeking to make export duty instructions a law."

In response to whether the presence of Ismaili in the Deputy Minister of Mines of the Ministry of Industry and Razm Hassani as the Minister of Industry, we will see better things in the mining sector, he said: never; As long as Sarghini travels in this ministry. What a thought and view of Sarghini expert is in complete contradiction with Ismaili. Ismaili is interested in having an expert view of the organizations, but Sarghini does not accept this view, and Razm Hosseini is stuck in the middle of this conflict and is undecided.

According to the secretary of the Iranian Stone Association, two people in a ministry now decide on the mining sector, and a minister who does not have complete control over this sector is in conflict with two decisions and cannot make a single decision for it.

Acting against the law of mercy

Regarding the history of this instruction, the secretary of the Union of Manufacturers and Exporters of Mineral Products of Iran said: On August 17, 2016, the Supreme Economic Coordination Council approved a resolution with one year validity to regulate the market and allowed the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade to sell any goods in the market. There was a shortage to stop its export. With this decree, the export of many foods was stopped.

Kamran Vakil continued: The validity of the decree expired on August 17, 2009, but Reza Rahmani, the then Minister of Industry, on September 17, 2009, documented the decree and said that from the list of 25 minerals, get 15 to 25 percent export duties.

According to the lawyer, since the deadline for the main resolution had expired, on September 10, 1998, they received a letter from the Supreme Economic Coordination Council extending the resolution until the end of 1998. According to this instruction, the collection of export duties continued until the end of 1398, but continued in 1399 and continues.

We will take you from the next government

He clarified in this regard: now, almost 8 months after the expiration of the legal deadline, the decree and instructions, they receive duties from stone exports. Interestingly, in the Supreme Export Council, we protested to the Trade Development Organization against this violation and said, "On what basis is the receipt of these duties?" In response, they said: "We are taking it now and it is illegal, but it will be returned to the next government."

The lawyer added: The director of customs exports also says that we do not know the basis for taking these duties and we have written several letters to government agencies but no one has responded!

The secretary of the Union of Manufacturers and Exporters of Mineral Products of Iran reminded: in the first 6 months of this year, they have received about one thousand and 270 billion tomans of illegal duties from the private sector. If the government and government agencies receive money, it must be documented by law, so we have complained about these illegal fees to the Court of Audit, the Court of Administrative Justice, the Article 90 Commission, and the plan, and it must be returned.

He pointed out: why should they take such duties from the part that has the most role in the productive occupation of the country and the most share in the fair and uniform distribution of wealth and facilities.

According to the lawyer, the main problem is that they are seizing this section; They say let's get a stone export license and after you export it, put the money in the Nima system and if it is 28,000 Tomans, sell it for 21,000 Tomans and pay 25% of the illegal export duties. You do not have a tax exemption. Is this other than stealing? On the other hand, it is said that investment in the mining sector has declined. So with this situation dealing with a mining activist, who is willing to invest in this sector?

On the other hand, Farzaneh Masoumi, a member of Iran Mining House and a producer of minerals, admitted in this regard: In the last 8 years, unfortunately, tax exemption was lifted in the mining sector and the export of minerals was subject to duties with high tariffs. 

Masoumi adds: "The country's exports are dormant in minerals, development projects are closed and government salaries are multiplied 10 times (7% of the sale price), although Article 14 of the Mining Law states otherwise and the government has no right to deduct 7% of the sale price from the miner." To take.