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| Sungun copper mine, Varzegan, East Azerbaijan Province |
Behnam Rizvani, the representative of Kaleybar, Khudafarin, and Horand in the Parliament, made a noteworthy speech during a meeting held in support of Ali Reza Novin, a candidate for the second round of parliamentary elections in Tabriz.
Rizvani's speech about the Sungun copper mine, located in the Varzegan region of East Azerbaijan Province, and its revenues, has gained significant attention on social media.
In his speech, the MP argued that the Sungun copper mine "belongs to the Turks," stating that its annual revenue amounts to 80 trillion tomans. According to him, by law, 10% of the added value from mines should be allocated to provinces, but considering the revenue from this mine, this amount would be around 8 trillion tomans, which the province has not been able to obtain.
"This copper is extracted from the mine, turned into concentrate, loaded onto trucks, and sent to Kerman. Up until now, we have not had the courage to say that this copper is from our land, and its revenue should belong here. I am not saying all the revenue should go to Azerbaijan, but according to the law, 10% of the added value from mines should be spent on the provinces," the deputy emphasized.
He also mentioned that "last year, the construction credits for our province amounted to 2 trillion tomans, but we could only obtain 1.6 trillion tomans of that."
"If we had received the added value from the copper mine, it would have been five times more than last year's construction credit. In the villages of Qaradagh, there is no drinking water," he added.
The video of the deputy's speech has been widely shared on some local websites and social media channels under the headline "Injustice in Azerbaijan."
The creation of the Azerbaijan Copper Company in East Azerbaijan Province has been a subject of discussion for years. During his visit to the province in 2022, President Ebrahim Raisi announced the establishment of this company among the workers of the mine. However, a year later, the creation of the Azerbaijan Copper Company was denied, and it was stated that such a company was not on the agenda.
When the news about the establishment of the Azerbaijan Copper Company spread, national activists expressed skepticism about the news in an interview with Voice of America.
If the company were to be established, its revenue accounts and tax payments could be transferred to the province’s banks, and as a decentralization measure, it could impact the welfare and progress of the province.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İran parlamentinin üzvü Süngün mis mədəninin gəlirinin bir hissəsinin Şərqi Azərbaycan vilayətinə xərclənməsinə çağırıb