South Khorasan’s minerals reserves are estimated at 2.4 billion tons, 414 million tons of which were discovered two years ago when President Hassan Rouhani took office, said the deputy head of the province’s Industries, Mining and Trade Organization for mining affairs.
According to Mohammad Salari, 90 mineral exploitation permits with total investments of $127.2 million were issued during the two-year period, creating 1,275 job opportunities in the process, which indicates a 120% increase in terms of permit numbers, 49% growth in investment and 39% rise in the number of jobs compared to the preceding two years.
Furthermore, 229 mineral exploration licenses have been issued with an investment of $127.2 million, which indicates a 9% increase in the number of licenses and 15% growth in investment compared to the 2011-13 duration, he added.
