The necessity of elevating Gilan’s position in exports and imports

According to Mehr’s reporter, Hadi Haq Shenas on Saturday morning during the employment and investment working group meeting examined the economic situation, investment opportunities, and existing challenges in the province and stated: In 2011, Anzali Port had about 6 million tons of exports and imports, but after 13 years, the entire Gilan province from the free zone to Astara Port still has the same amount, which is not indicative of a favorable trend.

He emphasized that Gilan must improve its position in the rankings of exporting and importing provinces, adding: 90% of the country’s trade is done through the sea, and this figure reaches 80% worldwide.

Gilan’s Unique Capacities

Haq Shenas further referred to the unique geographical location and infrastructure of Gilan and said: A significant part of foreign trade is related to infrastructure and geographical location, and given the proper infrastructure like banks, insurance companies, and forwarders in Anzali Port, traders are interested in operating in Anzali.

He also pointed to the exceptional capacities of Astara and said: No city in the country is like Astara which has land, sea, and air borders, hence this city presents a unique opportunity for providing commercial and tourism services.

Haq Shenas referred to the importance of railways in cheap transport and its economic justification and added: 105 ships with the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran are commuting, mostly bringing cargo and returning empty. If we properly utilize the corridors, we can provide more opportunities for the province’s development.

He, referring to the year’s slogan titled “Year of Investment for Production,” asked the Chamber of Commerce, as the responsible private sector institution, to identify closed economic enterprises and strive to solve their problems.

The governor of Gilan emphasized the necessity of utilizing the province’s unique capacities in tourism, natural resources, and border position and said: We must be accountable to the future generation about what actions we took with all these facilities and capacities.