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Rouhani Urges Private Investment in Rural Areas

Rouhani Urges Private  Investment in Rural Areas
Rouhani Urges Private  Investment in Rural Areas

President Hassan Rouhani has urged private investors and entrepreneurs to join the government and contribute to the development of rural areas.  

"Obviously the administration does not have adequate resources to address all problems and shortcomings alone… we can pave the ground for investors and entrepreneurs to come to the scene and assist us," he said.

The president made the remarks in his speech at a ceremony held in Tehran on Monday to celebrate National Village Day, IRNA reported.

****Secure Investment Environment  

He said the government has prepared a comprehensive plan to attract foreign and domestic investors.

The administration is seeking to provide a proper and secure investment environment, market stability, and optimism for the future and take measures to secure good return on investment to make investment opportunities for private sector more attractive, he added.   

Rouhani also said the government is trying to help strengthen the private and cooperative sectors, adding, "We have already invited entrepreneurs and investors… and have seen and benefited from their enormous potential and capabilities in several provinces."

******Aiming for Increased Farm Output  

Rouhani further touched on the necessity of collective and joint efforts for the development and modernization of the agriculture sector in rural areas.

He said his administration has made efforts to optimize water consumption by employing scientific water management techniques and has been seeking to introduce modern methods to boost farm output.

"A huge project has begun in the western provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan … and it is expected that within the next three to four years over 550.000 acres of arable land will be irrigated using modern irrigation methods."

 

"Modern irrigation plans are also under study for the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan and other areas," the president added.

****Special Attention to Border Villages

Elsewhere, Rouhani said special attention should be paid to rural areas close to borderlines.

He noted that villages located close to borderlines play a "deterrent role" against enemies, adding that the people of such villages are both "border dwellers and border guards."

Given the sensitive role of border villages, the president called on officials to make greater efforts to help develop them.  

 

 

******Rural Residents and Politics

Rouhani said rural residents have always had a high turnout in elections, adding, "Inhabitants of villages today have access to television and satellite channels and are connected to the internet."

"Today, we have many bloggers and bright and intellectual people with their own web pages in villages; and young people in rural areas are among top students in different fields at universities and seminary schools."  

"All these demonstrate the tremendous and great potential of our youth in villages," Rouhani pointed out.

****Migration to Cities  

 

The president also highlighted the negative aspects of migration from rural areas to cities and said sustainable development requires the allocation of a considerable share of resources to villages in order to discourage rural residents from moving to cities.

In conclusion, Rouhani referred to plans for the promotion of rural health by building well-equipped health centers and clinics and said expansion of health insurance coverage for villages is a top priority for his administration.

 

Financialtribune.com