Hamid Melikoglu, Voice of America, August 16, 2024
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| Mayor of Tabriz, Yaghoub Houshyar |
The Mayor of Tabriz, Yaghoub Houshyar, highlighted the lack of sufficient government investment in East Azerbaijan Province and emphasized the need to revitalize the city’s economic situation.
In an interview with Fars News Agency, Houshyar stated that East Azerbaijan Province is the only province in Iran where 96% of the economy is in the hands of the private sector, and no significant government investment has been made in the region over the past 50 years.
He further noted that East Azerbaijan and the city of Tabriz have historically been among Iran’s economic hubs and have played a vital role in non-oil exports. However, this position has weakened in recent years.
According to Houshyar, restoring the province's economic standing could prevent the migration of economic elites and entrepreneurs while attracting new capital to the region.
“Based on statistics from the Province’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Organization, last year East Azerbaijan exported $1.542 billion worth of non-oil products to global markets,” Houshyar stressed.
He highlighted that the province leads the country in industries such as chocolate production, raisins, steel products, and other sectors.
Houshyar also mentioned that Tabriz and East Azerbaijan Province have ranked second nationwide in attracting foreign investors in various production sectors in recent years, demonstrating the region’s high potential. He called for Masoud Pezeshkian’s government to prioritize investing in the province.
The mayor added that allocating tax revenues from the Sungun Copper Complex to the province remains one of the population’s main demands. “If these funds are fully secured, they could significantly contribute to the development of the production, agriculture, and industrial sectors in the province,” Houshyar concluded.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Təbriz bələdiyyə başqanı: Son 50 ildə Şərqi Azərbaycana əhəmiyyətli sərmayə qoyulmayıb