These days, activists in the industry, like all other economic activities, are struggling with many problems from fluctuations in exchange rates to the possibility of returning sanctions. However, many are trying to bring down the profit margins of their activities, as well as the market for many years, to attend it have tried to remain but others are downsizing production capacity and even vacations and going to the Other businesses speak.
Mining industries are one of the main fields in which the reserves in Iran provide the ground for the export of its products, according to Abul Ghasem Shafiei, president of Iran`s Stone Association, having 40 billion tons of definite reserves, is ranked tenth in the world and with The four billion tons of precious stones are in fourth place, but in terms of the variety of lime stone (marble and travertine), the first place is.
At the same time, the main disadvantage of the industry is the inability to export, saying: In 1989, Iran exported 2 times more than Turkey ($ 80 million versus $ 40 million), but Turkey`s exports today reached $ 2.6 billion, while exports Iran is only $ 200 million.
With the same development approach in the export markets, Tehran, on July 28, hosted the tenth international exhibition of mines and decorative stones in a four-day event, in which more than 220 domestic and foreign companies from Iran and various countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands , Turkey as well as some Asian countries.
Under the pretext of holding this event, we sat in the heart of the mining industry and the decorative stone industry, who said they were only asking for a return to market stability. Relaxation, which was the main strength of the government in past years, and some manufacturers succeeded in sheltering new machines, native certain technologies and, consequently, currency savings.
Mahmoud Alaee, managing director of a mining machinery company, told about the dependence of the industry on foreign exchange and imports. In some electromotors and foreign affairs, the majority of them are indirectly from South Korea and China through intermediaries in the market. It is entered.
This mineral activist reminded: since the beginning of this year, although the situation with sales and liquidity has improved, the goods needed for production are not found due to currency fluctuations in the market.
"Increasing the price of goods has led, as an example, to every pump device used in the company`s products three times, and every case of the key is 2 times higher; as before, buying and selling with a thriving Czech, but today Sellers only require cash.
"We are in a state of uncertainty with the current situation, we expect the government to declare the real price of the currency if it is even 10 thousand tomans, and keep it constant until the task is clear," he said.
He said: "If there is any kind of material and raw material in the market, even if the currency is more expensive, we can be able to produce, because in this situation cheaper exports It`s over and even can compete with Chinese products.
The manufacturer announced plans to export all of the company`s products to Ethiopia`s African country if the conditions for market stabilization and currency assignment were announced, and emphasized that the main demands of the producers of the government were to create conditions of stability and tranquility in the market.
He recalled: the receipt of VAT is a problem for converted producers, while the principle is to be taken out of the final consumer.
The economic activist highlighted the high cost of attending the exhibition, including the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, saying the government is expected to provide incentives and incentives.
Awakening announced the construction of a new Block Cutter, called "Parallel Chop", used to pierce rocks in a granite mine; this was achieved despite sanctions and economic pressures. Is.
According to him, earlier the device needed to pierce the stones at a cost of $ 13,000 from Italy, and even in some cases manually carried out by manpower, which, in addition to some of the dangers arising from it, had a low velocity Was.
Delahi added that the cost of importing this device by calculating 4200 USD and taking into account customs and transportation costs was nearly 100 million USD, but now the company has managed to reverse engineer and carry out day-to-day operations in one month, half The finished product will produce the same.
The parallel hollow device is designed for slabing stone blocks in granite and marble quarries; it is easily installed on blocks of stone of different dimensions, and the operator can quickly and accurately quarrel.
The director of a rock manufacturing industry group also said that 70 percent of the raw materials needed for production, including iron, paint, cast iron, aluminum from the inside, and 30 percent of the others, included electric appliances and electromotors from Italy, Germany, France and South Korea. Gets
Akbar Rafiyee said that the recent exchange rate fluctuations have caused losses to more than 2 billion tomans since they were forced to make the machines, in spite of rising costs, according to the contract price of their customers.
He said: "There is so much administrative process to receive a long formal currency that we have forgotten, and we receive the necessary supplies for free from intermediaries."
"While customers are asking for the goods, the company`s sales are stopped, because of fluctuations in prices, we had to buy any product we sold at a higher price," said the miner. "Foreign exchange fluctuations have raised at least 40 percent of the required foreign assets."
He said that our foreign currency loan assignment is directed at the government, so that, in addition to developing production lines, it could buy the necessary supplies and supplies and store it before the start of the sanctions (the mid-month of July).
Rafiee continued, "We have been struggling in the rock industry for more than three decades, and, despite all the difficulties, we do not want to stop it indifferently.
This activist of the machinery industry continued, "Today we are in a state of uncertainty, while we go to the water and fire to get some profit, but some producers stop working and make their money in the attractive part of capital construction And even some have left the country.
Rafiei continued to work on the construction of CNG milling machine at his company, with a one-year boarding effort of 20 personnel, built with a third of the same Italian price; this device is a tool for vertical slices , Horizontal and curve of rocks and shaping to be cut.
The maker of stone machines said that the cost of buying and importing this machine is one billion and 400 million tomans, but it is made up of 350 million Tomans for the company and is used in the stone industry and crane (artificial stone cutting).
He noted that due to lower energy costs, labor costs, as well as civilian costs (warehouses, salons, etc.), this machine will be built at a much lower price than the Italian one.
Rafiee emphasized: the export of such a product requires the acquisition of a standard European Union (CE), but the national standard organization does not have the conditions to obtain it.
He argued that the device was made possible by day-to-day efforts by denying government officials the opportunity to visit and even say "do not get tired." They said: "We expect the government to organize exhibitions facilities And give incentives to companies. "We have spent $ 100 million to attend this exhibition, bringing more than 2 billion USD to furnishings, but do not overlook the officials."
Sales director of a mining company said the sales situation in the domestic and export markets has been accompanied by drops in costs and production problems due to recent foreign exchange fluctuations.
Vahid Hajbroat, social security insurance, heavy taxes, a few hours of electricity supply overnight and the lack of proper services in industrial settlements, including production problems.
He noted that in the past, despite the sanctions, we succeeded in updating our production lines every year, but the return of sanctions and currency fluctuations, The cut off and the price of these machines will increase by several times.
This mineral activist stated that all the equipment needed for the stone industry (except for the rock itself) comes from the outside, some of which, such as segments and accessories of the sub-device (stone-making tools), increase by 30% and "epoxy" ) Increased by 150%.
He said that the boom has returned to the housing market in recent months, which has led to a slight increase in demand for the company`s products.
Hussein Naha`i, chairman of the board of directors of a mining company, said that the exchange rates in the past months have been heavily influenced by costs, so that the price of heavy machinery and equipment for cutting tools, which mainly came from China and European countries It would have been at least doubled and other internal costs increased by 50%, while the company`s product prices did not increase significantly due to the downturn in the market.
He noted: Due to the difficulty of transferring money and the difficulty of exporting stones, only five percent of its finished products are exported.
"The taste of buying stones varies among customers," he said, explaining why the stones have been exported. "It may even be a very good stone for us, but we dislike the external customer."
He noted that currency problems and the possibility of returning sanctions are two major dilemmas facing stone producers.
He also described the wear and tear of machinery and the stone processing system as the biggest problem in the sector and said: "Our request from the government is to grant the facility for the modernization of the production fleet and machinery.
The production activist also called for practical support from the mining sector, saying that the state`s statutory fees for mines are high, and last year the company paid more than $ 2 billion in government remuneration.
He added: "While we get the money for our product sold two years later, we will pay the state`s rights to the mines, in this regard, we expect the government to have a share of the government."
He emphasized: "If the government raises the margin of safety for producers, we will be able to further develop production and employment," he said.
The value of Iranian souvenir exports and exports reached 341 million dollars last year, compared to 274 million dollars in 1395.
Iran is among the top 6 manufacturers of decorative and facade stones, but has been ranked among the 20 countries for export.
The number of mines in the country is estimated to be 1,700 to 1,900, of which 1,200 are active mines.
The 10th International Exhibition of Mining and Decorative Stones of Iran closed on July 31.