Mazandaran is Iran’s second biggest mineral-rich province, said chairman of Mazandaran Association of House of Industries, Mining and Trade, Mohammad Naeiji, adding that the province’s mines have created 4,000 jobs. The official noted that there are currently 23 mines active in the province, which produce ferrosilicon and coal, most of which are exported to regional countries. He called on the government to support the mining sector in the province by providing miners with low-interest loans and increasing import tariffs on foreign mineral products, emphasizing the sector’s central role in realizing the objectives of Resistance Economy—a set of guidelines by the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei—aimed at reducing reliance on oil and boosting domestic production, Mehr News Agency reported.
