Iranian Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs, Farhad Dejpasand said that Free zones should be more free to boost their trade and economic exchanges beyond the borders.
“Iran’s exports through free zones increased from $192 million in 2013 to $1.5 billion in 2017, and we are trying to resolve all the obstacles and problems along the way,” the secretary of Iran’s Free Zones High Council Morteza Bank said, Trend reports citing IRNA.
Bank went on to add that over 285,000 new jobs have been created in the free zones, which is the result of the presence of 1,600 service units in these areas.
“There are also various plans to support production and creation of suitable space for new businesses in the area,” said Bank.
He added that free zones, without receiving any credits from the government, for five years had the $10 trillion worth of revenues, half of which was spent on development projects and completion of the infrastructure of the regions.
“A free trade zone without any implemented laws is not a real free zone, and unfortunately, there are institutions interfering in the affairs of these zones as well,” Bank said.
Iran has seven commercial-industrial free zones including Kish, Qeshm, Chabahar, Aras, Anzali, Arvand and Mako and 64 special economic zones.
In September 2018, MPs voted to create eight new free zones and 98 new special economic zones.
