After six rounds of public call a total of 2,261 companies registered for inclusion in the oil ministry's list of oil and gas industry manufacturers, the eligibility of 453 applicant firms was approved by the ministry, Shana news agency quoted Fariborz Gordaninejad, head of the Association of Protection of Domestic Production, as saying on Saturday.
The oil ministry and all its subsidiaries are obliged to obtain equipment and commodities via the Integrated System for Protection of Domestic Production, which contains a full list of eligible local suppliers.
A committee to pursue production of important oil equipment by domestic manufacturers was established last October by Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh in a drive to promote domestic manufacturing of goods and machinery.
The minister issued a new directive which would provide further support for manufacturers of the oil industry facilities. "The directive will also help boost transparency in oil exchanges and tenders,” deputy oil minister Emad Hosseini said.
The electronic system is expected to become fully operational by the yearend (March 21). The ministry has a 2-year plan to attain full independence in manufacturing 10 groups of high-demand goods as indigenously manufacturing goods would help save the oil industry, and the economy in general, hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
