According to the International Iranian Stone Exhibition, Spanta Daneshmand in a meeting with reporters, while emphasizing that we are seriously opposed to the sale of raw materials, but given the ability to import the best raw materials and export quality final product and competitive with the Italian market, including industry powers It is stone, we can bring the Iranian stone industry to its real position, explaining the situation of stone in Iran, he said: It was September 2017 that we decided in the Chabahar Free Zone for various reasons such as the need for employment in the region, proximity to the port, Proximity to valuable mines of neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, high local potential of Chabahar region as well as export targeting and 1400 bright horizon of this region which is known as the economic hub of the country, hard stone quarry with an annual capacity of at least one million square meters Types of payments (more than 10 models) and build 500,000 square meters of decorative stones and guillotines, rivers, agates, etc.

This activist of the stone industry believes that the diversity of Iranian stone in terms of color and quality has always been a factor in global markets, but these capabilities have not been used properly.

He continued: At the same time (September 2017), 9 hectares of land were allocated and all the measures taken by the world production complex in this industry, especially in Europe and the United States, were to be taken to be undoubtedly the largest and most modern stone production plant in the country. Even activated in the Middle East. In order to benefit the labor force from the two sectors, we intended to establish two Italian production specialists for two years with local and domestic specialists and scholars to acquire what is known in the world as Italian production skills, and also to sign a cooperation agreement with Chabahar University of Applied Sciences. Use force to attract and train.

The scientist reminded that at first this project was welcomed by the director of Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone, and said: it was expected that this unit of mining industry would be completed and put into operation within 24 months from the time of handing over the land; In total, we needed 12 months to build the factory, six months to test, and six months to train our troops, and the project would be completed and operational within 24 months; But the international situation and the withdrawal of the United States from the UN Security Council led to the withdrawal of the Italian side from the plan. The Italian side withdrew from the cooperation and announced that they could no longer invest directly in Iran; Even after two years, when all the contracts were officially terminated.

He continued: "The area of ​​this complex is 9 hectares, with a volume of about 28,000 square meters, the main shed, warehouse and product workshop, 8,000 square meters of office building (which was very surprising for the officials of the free zone, but for us the wide office space, It was very important), about 40,000 square meters of food storage space and more than 1,500 square meters for rest, dining, staff gym, etc. According to 2016 European standards to provide job satisfaction to employees due to the difficult working conditions in the Chabahar Free Zone, was considered.

Pointing out that stone as a product needs to meet certain standards and meet export expectations and compete in global markets, the scientist said: "The capacity and technology of this project is designed taking into account the amount of stone required and the expectations of global markets." Considering that Iran has the ability to produce stone for the second place in the world after Italy, this project has been offered cooperation by the second largest stone production factory in Italy (Margraf) and according to the machines purchased from Italy and also considering the needs. To the stones of this region, he had expressed a desire to cooperate and buy a significant part of the future production of this factory.

He said: "It was expected that Chabahar would be out of the scope of sanctions and the connection to the mainland and the important factor of transportation and connection to the ocean would have an investment advantage, but the problems of energy supply, foreign exchange investment and investment from domestic sources and ... A series of obstacles were leading in this regard. More than three years after the land was handed over, the project has stalled and has not obtained the necessary permits to start work, due to various obstacles and stone-throwing by the Chabahar Free Zone (such as land in the food zone). We do not even know why, after expressing our intentions at the time of the project, why we are not given an appointment now and all our letters remain unanswered?

The industrial activist continued: "We have waited until today in the hope of supporting, considering and returning the Chabahar region to launch the project, but recently it has been heard that the Chabahar Free Zone has announced that our contract has been terminated but is still informed in writing." We have not arrived. Meanwhile, our capital has been stagnant for 3.5 years and we have spent more than 31 billion tomans from our own pockets.

He likened investing in Chabahar to a quagmire and said: "Why did they destroy the small amount of credit we had with our foreign parties, which was not allowed for productive work and currency exchange for the country?"

According to this industrial activist, now we have nothing but a 9-hectare land, and as mentioned, the same land was announced at a time when it is in the food area and therefore has a problem; However, there is only one lubrication unit near our land.

In response to ISNA, what is the main message and demand of the Chabahar Free Zone to be given permission to start work? "There is only one reason for this, and that is that they do not want to," he said. The course of change in the investment system in this region is so high that in recent years, to justify each and describe the situation, people have changed. Licenses are not issued, work is not formed and therefore financial auditing is not allowed.

He added: "We intended to provide the loan for this project in foreign currency and repay it in foreign currency, but this did not materialize and the facilities were referred to internal resources such as Bank Melli, Keshavarzi Bank, Refah Bank and Sanat-o-Ma'dan Bank." Each of them did not accept the issue for some reason and did not respond to us. Administrative bureaucracy to provide resources from the banking system wasted a lot of time. Now, with the passage of more than three years since the transfer of the land and the failure of the project and the plan that the Chabahar region has terminated the contracts, the problems that have arisen for our group are beyond the control of the government. Our hand came out.

ISNA also followed up on this issue from the Chabahar Free Zone to find out the reason for the suspension of this project and the events that have taken place during the last three years.

Relying on internal power, the only factor in the production leap in Chabahar / the indebtedness of foreign partners and projects that did not come to fruition

Explaining the essence of the issue and the cause of events, Chabahar Free Zone Public Relations stated: "You must provide your production, your economy, your future, yourself from within." This is a quote from the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in May 2014 in front of craftsmen and factory workers Manufacturing and industrial. A phrase that clearly showed the production and industry roadmap.

Chabahar Free Zone, as the productive and economic hub of the country, is no exception to this roadmap, and a look at the performance of the production units of this region shows that projects that relied on internal power are now the source of employment and income generation, and projects that focus on outside They have borders, they face serious challenges today.

Foreign partner cancellation and the project is gone / Lack of reliance on internal power and abandoned capacity

Mohammad Hedayi, the investment director of the Chabahar Free Zone Organization, also stated in connection with this project: Simultaneously with this project, other similar projects were started in Chabahar and have now been put into operation. The only difference between successful projects and stagnant projects is that the projects that have been exploited have relied on domestic power and resources, and the problematic and suspended projects have relied too much on the foreign partner and investor and have run into serious problems by failing to meet foreign investor commitments.

Regarding the accuracy of the non-renewal of licenses by the Free Zone Organization and the lack of infrastructure that has been complained about, he said: "Although we defined a project that will help the development of the country, but the abolition of Borjam by the United States was something beyond our control." Was. We expected to be supported inside, but the necessary assistance was not provided.

The director of investment affairs of Chabahar Free Zone Organization did not include the criticisms of this investor and said: the assistance provided to the investor of the mineral ores processing unit has been at the highest possible level. For example, due to the importance of the plan, the advance payment for land purchase was received from the investor only equal to 8% of the total amount, while the advance payment should be equal to 20% or 36-month installments, all extensions were made for them, but ultimately because The major investor had focused his plan on the foreign investor and the foreign side withdrew from the plan. The investor was practically incapable of implementing it, and although he owns 90,000 square meters of the seventh industrial area of ​​the free zone, a special action has been taken since 2017. It has not implemented the plan to advance and has not fulfilled its obligations to the free zone.

High sensitivity of regulatory bodies to national resources

Hedayi further emphasized that national resources should be informed about the economy, adding: "The contract that the free zone concludes with the investor is a conditional contract that the investor is obliged to put the project into operation and enter the economic cycle within the specified time." Finally, if the investor fails to implement the project despite maximum assistance, the free zone is obliged to cancel the contract and provide the land and facilities to the economic and other investment project so that national resources are not wasted. When an investor does not fulfill any of its obligations to the government within three years, failure to take legal action puts the government in front of regulators as to why this amount of appeasement is due. In the case of the mineral ore project, the highest level of support and assistance was provided to the project executor, but the project was not put into operation.

Regarding the amount of the license renewal ceiling, the official said that the free zones operate within the framework of the laws and regulations of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and that the monitoring agencies monitor the performance of the free zones in accordance with the same laws and regulations. These rules and regulations are the licenses to establish a company and to do business and economic activity, which are issued with a specific period of time, which is also determined according to the schedule provided by the executor and the investor.

He added: the executor of the project undertakes to complete the project within the specified time period and to receive the exploitation license by starting the business activity. If for any reason the investor fails to put the project into operation within the specified time, the legislature shall allow the operating license to be extended for another six months until the project becomes operational; But renewing a license for more than six months is illegal and is accompanied by the entry and collision of surveillance devices.

Hedayi continued: "There are a few projects in the Chabahar Free Zone that have not only not been put into operation within the set timeframe and the six-month extension, but have remained stagnant and the Free Zone Organization has no choice but to revoke their activity license." One of these projects is the mineral ore processing project, which, despite a lot of assistance from the free zone, could not be exploited and its license was revoked.

The investment director of Chabahar Free Zone, while re-emphasizing that at the same time with the beginning of this project, other similar projects have been started and put into operation in the seventh industrial body, said: the only difference between successful projects and stagnant projects is that Rely on technical and internal resources. Among these projects, we can mention Ariaprofil and Mahourbafan, which started to be launched in the seventh industrial complex of the free zone at the same time and have now been put into operation. The region and even the country create maps.

 It should be noted that Iran with 3270 million tons of complete reserves of stone ore is able to produce five million tons of stone annually and export it to international markets. In recent years, there has been a 12 percent increase in production every year, but this figure has been declining in the past year. Iran is the fourth largest producer of semi-processed ores in the world, accounting for only 3% of the world, and while global markets export about $ 23 billion, Iran's total exports are between $ 70 million and $ 200 million.

* ISNA