Funds amounting to $1.12 million will be allocated to the handicrafts artisans in Fars Province, the provincial deputy head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (CHHTO) for handicrafts Hemmat Mohamadi, announced on Monday.
A MoU has been signed between the ICHHTO and Imam Reza Fund, based on which it was agreed that tourism, handicrafts, and heritage projects would receive interest-free loans.
“The handicrafts sector has big potential in generating employment, while at the same time requiring a comparatively small capital to develop, and therefore, is a beneficial area to allocate funds,” Mohamadi said.
“A total of 200,000 artisans are currently working in 85 handicrafts branches in the province, many of whom are struggling financially; this is in part attributed to the general economic downturn in recent years,” Mohamadi added.
The official appealed to artisans to refer to the handicrafts department of the ICHHTO to apply for the loans.
