Pilot implementation of the Business and Sustainable Employment Development Plan known as TAKAPOO will soon start in six provinces, an advisor to the project said on Wednesday.
“The ministry of cooperatives, labor and social welfare is finalizing the project plan and has signed agreements with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in this respect,” Mohammad Eskandari, the director general of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Affairs Organization in Semnan province said. “Semnan is the first province the project is piloted in.”
The main objectives of the plan include “providing support for small businesses which depend on local and regional economies; generating employment opportunities for the disabled and educated job seekers; learning about the experiences of other countries and taking lessons from the projects and studies already conducted in the country; taking note of the outcomes of field studies in order to correct the existing business development model; reviewing official provincial statistics and highlighting the important role of information, research and field studies in decision-making,” according to Eskandari.
In mid-November, Iran and UNIDO signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly work on the development of micro, small and medium businesses in Iran.
Iran and UNIDO have been able to conduct very successful and effective joint programs in developing steel industry, optimizing fuel consumption, and producing shoes. The Iran-UNIDO joint program for shoes production in the city of Mashhad has created about 1,000 jobs.
