The need to return 1,000 quarries to the production cycle
Secretary General of the Iranian Stone Association: The accurate implementation of the plan for the revitalization and modernization of small-scale mines can lead to the return of one thousand decorative and facade stone mines to the production and export cycle.
According to the International Iranian Stone Exhibition, Ahmad Sharifi stated: "Implementation of the small-scale mining rehabilitation plan is one of the best programs of the government in the mining sector, but the differences in the tastes of government officials in this field have hindered the expected progress in this sector."
2100 stone mines have exploitation license
The Secretary General of the Iranian Stone Association announced: Today, 2,100 decorative and facade stone mines are licensed in the country, but for various reasons, 1,000 mines have been deactivated in this sector, and they can be activated by diagnosing complications.
Stone mines with a capacity of 30 million tons
Sharifi stated: "Studies show that the annual capacity of the country's stone mines is more than 30 million tons, but now in the current situation it has reached about eight to nine million tons and needs to be reconsidered.
Annual processing capacity of 200 million square meters of stone
He explained: "Today, there are more than 6,500 stone processing units in the country with an annual capacity of 200 million square meters, but now production is done at the level of 70 million square meters and in fact about 30% of decorative stones and facades are processed."
Statistics of 53.8% of active mines by the Ministry of Industry
Sharifi added: The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, as the custodian of the mining sector, has given statistics that there are more than 10,400 mines in the country, of which 53.8% are active with 5,600 mines.
He pointed out: The Ministry of Industry gave priority to the activation of inactive mines in the metal field (iron ore, copper, etc.), because buyers were ready to pre-purchase these minerals, and from 1997, about 50 to 60 stagnant mines became active in this regard.
Request from the Ministry of Industry to activate 200 stagnant mines
The Secretary General of the Iranian Stone Association stated: Simultaneously with the formation of the Coordination and Consultative Council for the Rehabilitation of Small-Scale Inactive Mines in 1397, according to the decree of the Minister of Industry, about 200 mines were diagnosed annually and returned to production after solving problems.
He said that the Stone Association, in coordination with the council, introduced 20 mines for activation in the first phase, and all their problems such as machinery, extraction rate, government salaries and related crimes were also observed, but the difference of opinion between the council and the deputy Mining of the Ministry of Industry caused the suspension of the small-scale mining activation plan in the field of decorative stone and facade.
Resolution of the Coordinating Council for Restoration of Undecided Mines
Sharifi stated: It was expected that the decision of the Coordination Council of Mines Rehabilitation would be considered as a decision of the Supreme Council of Mines to be applicable, but the Deputy Minister of Mines of the Ministry of Industry blocked the decisions of the council in the form of administrative bureaucracy and maze. And in practice the council was closed.
According to this report, in August of last year, "Jafar Sarghini", then Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Industries of the Ministry of Industry, said at a conference on production boom with revitalization and activation of small-scale mines: Small mines started in deprived provinces and 5% value added in mining It is owned by small mines, but generates 4% of employment.
"The value of small-scale mining production that has been launched is $ 50 million a year, and the development of small-scale mining is the best approach to sustainable employment," he said.
* IRNA
