According to the reporter Mehr, Shahla Amouri emphasized the importance of the geographical position of this province in a media interview this Thursday afternoon and stated: Khuzestan is one of the leading provinces in non-oil exports, but it faces numerous obstacles that have slowed down and increased the cost of exports.
She continued: From chronic problems in single management at commercial borders to sudden issuance of circulars, all prevent the continuation of sustainable exports.
Amouri referred to the negative export balance against imports and said: This trend indicates the weakening of the export of manufactured products in Khuzestan province, which has been influenced by various factors.
She reminded: To solve this problem, precise damage assessment must be done so that the foreign trade component in the province becomes a support for domestic production.
High capacity borders, but without infrastructure
Amouri referred to the state of the province’s borders and said: Our borders not only lack sufficient basic facilities, but severe heat, lack of manpower, frequent power outages, and lack of technical equipment like X-ray systems have disrupted export activities.
The secretary of the Khuzestan government and private sector dialogue council stated: Sometimes lack of coordination between government service-providing agencies at borders causes long queues of trucks and extensive damage to exporters.
She pointed to the necessity of supporting the private sector and said: Small and medium-sized industries play a key role in the province’s exports, but unfortunately no targeted support package for backing them has been considered; conversely, other provinces have managed to utilize these small industries well with correct policy-making.
The secretary of the Khuzestan government and private sector dialogue council added: Solutions have been proposed to solve the problems of various commercial and economic sectors in the province, but these proposals have not been considered in the province, yet have been pursued with results in other provinces.
She in another part of her speech emphasized the special role of economic diplomacy in the development of trade exchanges and said: Due to its border with Iraq and proximity to the Arab Gulf region countries, Khuzestan province has a special capacity to become one of the centers of regional trade interactions; however, the absence of consulates of neighboring countries like Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman in the province is strongly felt.
Amouri added: In the past, the presence of these countries’ consulates in Ahvaz facilitated trade relations, accelerated visa issuance, and increased economic exchanges. Now with the increase in export volume and the growing role of Khuzestan in foreign trade, the return of these consulates is an inevitable necessity.
She also referred to the reciprocal role of economic diplomacy and continued: As should be expected, the consulates of regional countries would be established in Ahvaz, the government should also pursue the establishment of the consulates of the Islamic Republic of Iran in these countries’ key commercial cities as a priority.
The secretary of the Khuzestan government and private sector dialogue council reminded: Expanding economic diplomacy networks, especially in countries with the most trade interactions with Iran, including Turkey, the UAE, and China, will facilitate trade negotiations, support Iranian investors, and remove currency and tariff barriers.
She stated: Synergy between the country’s economic agencies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for expanding economic diplomacy is one of the vital requirements at the current juncture.
Amouri stated: Today, merely having a border and a port is not an advantage because the advantage is the intelligent utilization of them through international interactions, strong infrastructure, and correct policy-making; Khuzestan, although it ranks among the leading provinces in export statistics, has not utilized its national capacities in practice, and this is a significant missed opportunity.
She stated: To achieve sustainable development, exports must be turned into a national strategy and provinces like Khuzestan must be regenerated as foreign trade centers.
News code: 6497551
Source: Mehr News Agency
