A total of 2.71 quadrillion rials ($9.86 billion) worth of investments were made in industrial units with establishment permits issued by the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade, while projects with operating licenses received 465.22 trillion rials ($1.69 billion) in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21).
Investment volumes in industrial units with establishment permits and operating licenses show a respective growth rate of 162% and 83% compared with the similar period of last year, the latest report released by the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade shows.
Establishment Permits
A total of 10,714 establishment permits were issued over the three months under review, registering a 31.8% year-on-year growth. These projects are expected to create 288,096 jobs – 52.4% more compared with the corresponding period of the year before.
Fars Province with 773, Khorasan Razavi Province with 770, Yazd Province with 713 had the largest share of establishment permits issued during the period.
The southwestern Yazd Province, with 433.33 trillion rials ($1.57 billion) worth of investments in 713 establishment permits is projected to have attracted the highest volume of investments. This registers an 806.5% upsurge year-on-year.
The number of establishment permits issued for industrial units located in free trade and special economic zones decreased by 16.3% to 36.
Investments worth 7.74 trillion rials ($28.15 million) are expected to be made in these projects to generate 2,138 jobs, registering a 65% plunge and 10.3% rise YOY respectively.
The field of “other non-metal minerals” saw the highest number of establishment permits (1,490) followed by “chemical production” (1,028) and “food and beverages” (1,018). The field of “other non-metal minerals” generated the highest number of jobs (37,096).
The highest volume of investment in these units is expected to be made in projects related to “essential metals production” with more than 455.7 trillion rials ($1.65 billion). The volume accounts for 16.7% of all investments in projects with establishment permits during the three months.
Operating Licenses
A total of 1,572 operating licenses were issued during the period under review, which shows a 25.3% YOY increase. These projects are expected to create 39,566 jobs, indicating a 56.2% rise compared with the corresponding period of last year.
East Azarbaijan Province and Isfahan both with 133, Khorasan Razavi Province with 118 and Yazd Province with 98 had the largest share of operating licenses issued during the three months.
Isfahan Province, with more than 134.88 trillion rials ($490.49 million) for 133 projects, attracted the highest volume of investment in projects with operating licenses. The figure shows a whopping 1,306% surge compared with the similar period of last year and accounts for 29.6% of total investments made in projects with operating licenses.
The highest number of jobs were generated in the provinces of Kerman, Isfahan and Alborz with 6,465, 4,294 and 4,110 opportunities respectively.
The number of such licenses issued for industrial projects located in free trade and special economic zones stood at 45, indicating a decline of 62.2% YOY. More than 8.9 trillion rials ($32.37 million) worth of investments were made in these projects to create 1,224 jobs, registering a 95.1% and 83.4% decline respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year.
The field of chemical production saw the highest number of operating licenses, namely 237. The field of essential metals production created the highest number of jobs (7,730) during the three months.
The highest volume of investments in this regard was made in projects related to coke and oil derivatives (129.46 trillion rials or $470.78 million). The figure surged by a massive 9,932% YOY and accounted for 28.3% of all investments made in industrial units with operating licenses.
The number of greenfield projects for which operating licenses were issued stood at 789, some 21 of which were for those located in free trade and special economic zones, indicating a 50.3% rise and a 62.5% decline respectively YOY.
A total of 738 permits were issued for the operation of brownfield projects, 24 of which were located in FTZs and special economic zones showing a 20.8% increase and a 61.9% decline YOY, respectively.
ineral Production Permits
A total of 121 mineral production permits were issued during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, registering a 5.5% fall compared with the similar period of last year.
These permits are expected to create 1,085 jobs, which indicate a 3.8% decline year-on-year.
The nominal mineral extraction capacity of these projects stood at 3.65 million tons, which shows a 49.2% plunge YOY.
The provinces of Khorasan Razavi with 25, Semnan with 11, Yazd with 10, Isfahan with nine, Sistan-Baluchestan and Zanjan both with six each and Fars with four had the largest share of mineral production permits issued during the period. These permits are expected to create the largest number of jobs in Khorasan Razavi Province (180), Mazandaran Province (145), Sistan-Baluchestan (102), Isfahan Province (95), Semnan Province (83), Yazd Province (76) and Fars Province (43).
The provinces of Khorasan Razavi, Markazi and Bushehr respectively had the highest volume of nominal extraction capacities with 442,800 tons, 273,000 tons and 240,000 tons.
A total of 107 exploration permits were issued during the three months, which shows a meager rise of 3.9% YOY.
Exploration costs stood at 333.1 billion rials ($1.21 million), registering a YOY increase of 56.7%.
