A total of 50 handicraft projects have been approved for the next fiscal year (starts March 20), according to the development and management deputy at Iran Cultural Heritage Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Samiollah Hosseini Makarem. The projects have a budget of 200 billion rials ($5.7 million), Mehr News Agency reported. Without going into specifics, he said the projects include constructing workshops for artisans, among others. “Special attention has been given to the industry and its development in the budget bill for the next fiscal year, as evidenced by the 50% boost in funding compared with last year,” he said, adding that a substantial portion of the budget will be used to participate in international handicraft exhibitions.
