Just as the number of permits issued by the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade for establishment of industrial units saw a decline for the past Iranian year (Match 2015-16), there was a surge in the amount of investments for launching those businesses, indicating a shift from small to larger enterprises, according to a report by our sister publication Donya-e Eqtesad. More than 16,000 such permits were issued during the period, 14.2% less compared to a year before. However, 1.2 quadrillion rials (about $35 billion at current market exchange rate) is estimated to have been invested in lunching industrial units, 16.5% more than the preceding year, the report shows. Moreover, the number of operating permits issued for the same duration fell 2.6% to stand at 5,000. This is while investment in operating those businesses jumped 20% to stand at 18 trillion rials (over $520 million).
