NDFI Funds for Generating Rural Employment

First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri has notified the regulations of the Law on Supporting Sustainable Employment in Rural and Nomadic Areas to executive administrations on Monday.

A budget of $1.5 million has been earmarked by the National Development Fund of Iran for the implementation of these projects, CHTN reported. The share of tourism in the budget is 10% and an additional 10% are earmarked for handicrafts and hand-woven carpets.  Ali Asghar Mounesan, the chief of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, emphasized that the budget offers a great opportunity to create jobs in villages.

"We must make careful plans to use the budget to create jobs and promote an economic boom in rural and nomadic regions," he said. Since his appointment as ICHHTO chief, Mounesan has frequently highlighted the potentials of handicraft and tourism sectors in creating jobs with little investment, believing that industries have the potential to employ twice the current number of people involved.

"One job can be generated with 500 million rials ($125,000) in the handicrafts sector while it would require 10 times more in other industries," he reiterated.

Based on the regulations, each province takes a determined share of the budget, in terms of its population, unemployment rate and per capita income. Each sectors' share of the budget has also been determined. Agriculture and natural resources (45%), small industries and mines (10%), information technology services (15%) and production units in rural areas (10%) have received funds to generate sustainable employment.