Two glassware manufacturers, affiliated to the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution, supply 20% of Iran’s demand for glass bottles used for carbonated drinks, milk, yogurt drink, etc.
According to Yahya Malmir Chegini, the managing director of Gostaresh Paya Sanat Sina Company, a subsidiary of the foundation, the company’s two plants manufacture 78,000 tons of glass bottles and export nearly half annually.
Noting that the expansion of these factories is underway in three phases, he said, “When the projects are completed, the factories’ production capacities will increase by 180,000 tons annually to meet 35% of the market demand.”
Chegini said Iran is self-sufficient in the production of glass raw materials, including silicon dioxide or silica.
“The development of glass industry would help prevent the export of unprocessed materials and generate up to $50 million for the country annually. These two plants have created jobs for 600 people. With the completion of Phase III of their development plan, an additional 750 jobs will be created,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
Mostazafan Foundation (a foundation for the oppressed and disabled established in 1979 as per the decree of the late Imam Khomeini) is the largest charity and the second-largest conglomerate in Iran.
Two tile manufacturing plants of Gostaresh Paya Sanat Sina Company produce over 13 million square meters of tiles and ceramics and 3,000 tons of sanitaryware annually and account for 5% of Iran’s demand for these products.
According to Parviz Fattah, the head of the foundation, these two stock-market-listed firms export 60% of their products worth $20 million annually and have created jobs for more than 1,000 skilled and unskilled workers.
“Iran’s tile and ceramic industry ranks eighth in the world. The development of the industry would prevent the export of raw materials such as different types of minerals. Development projects of these two plants are underway and will be completed next year to increase the country’s production capacity for tiles and ceramics by 5 million square meters,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Fattah had earlier said Mostazafan Foundation was planning to donate building materials, namely cement, rebar, tile and ceramics to government-backed affordable housing projects for the under-privileged.
“Companies affiliated to the foundation also account for 13% of domestic cement production,” Mohammad Saeedikia, the former head of the foundation, has been quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
As of 2018, the foundation had 11 holdings, 160 affiliated companies and 40,000 employees.
Some 70 subsidiary companies were merged, ceded or dissolved to streamline the organization in recent years.
Saeedikia said Mostazafan Foundation has shown complete transparency over its finances, despite the large extent of its economic activities.
“During 2005-17, more than 47 trillion rials [$180 million] have been paid in taxes by Mostazafan Foundation, while 151 out of the 179 affiliated companies have been rated ‘satisfactory’ by auditors,” he added.
Saeedikia also said Mostazafan accounts for 1.5% of Iran’s gross domestic product.
