Establishing six new Free Trade Zones has been approved by the Supreme Council of Iran’s Free Trade, Industrial and Special Economic Zones and the bills will soon be submitted to the parliament for final approval, according to the council’s deputy director, Ja’far Ahngaran.
The six new FTZs include Mehran in the western province of Ilam, Baneh-Marivan in the northwestern Kurdistan Province, Incheh Borun in the northeastern Golestan Province, Zabol in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province, one in the northwestern Ardabil city and capital of Ardabil Province and another in the southern city of Jask in Hormozgan Province, ISNA reported.
Trade With Iraq
Mehran is located near Iran’s border with Iraq and establishing the Mehran FTZ is expected to facilitate trade between Iran and its western neighbor, said Ahangaran, adding that the time of execution for the proposed bill will depend on the parliament’s decision as well as development of the required infrastructure.
He also described the Baneh-Marivan FTZ as instrumental in boosting trade relations with Iraq, adding that the Committee of the Supreme Council of Free Zones has already approved the project’s outlines and is conducting the necessary provisional assessments.
“Once the proposals have been assessed by the free zones committee and approved by the supreme council of free zones, they are sent to the cabinet and later to the parliament for final approval,” he explained.
Development Mokran Coastal Region
Noting that the Rouhani administration has placed great importance on the development of free trade zones since assuming office (in August 2013), the official said establishing an FTZ in the port town of Jask would help in development of Mokran coastal region along the Gulf of Oman.
The proposal for creating the Ardabil FTZ is ready to be passed on to the parliament, while Zabol FTZs is currently being studies by the free zones committee, he said, adding that Zabol FTZ is intended to connect Iran’s Chabahar port to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Incheh Borun is another FTZ the outlines of which have been approved by the supreme council. It is expected to link Iran to Turkmenistan and other countries in Central Asia.
Iran currently has seven trade and industrial free zones, namely Kish, Qeshm, Chabahar, Anzali, Aras, Arvand, and Maku.
