SME Exports Earn $1.6b in 9 Months

Exports by Iran’s small- and medium-sized enterprises during the nine months to December 20 amounted to $1.6 billion, according to the deputy head of Iran’s Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization. “This shows small industries are not in a recession. Iranian industries grew 4.6% [during the first half of the current Iranian year that started on March 20, 2016]. This is while last year, we experienced a negative growth,” Gholamreza Soleymani was also quoted as saying by Eghtesad Online.  It is estimated that 96% of the 88,000 licensed Iranian businesses are considered small- and medium-sized, providing 42% of the jobs in the industrial sector. However, Pedram Soltani, the deputy head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, disagrees with Soleymani, arguing that the H1 industrial growth is confined to large industries only and that SMEs remain in a slump, ICCIMA news portal reported.