Villagers will earn some extra money and fill their leisure time in non-agricultural seasons by weaving carpets.

Head of National Carpet Center has announced that handwoven Persian carpets ranked third among Iran’s export items after oil and petrochemical products.
Morteza Faraji further stated that five million Iranians are involved in the handmade carpet industry, IRNA reported. “No industry in the country creates job for such large number of the people,“ he noted.
Highlighting the importance of the industry, the official stated that people in rural areas will earn money and fill their leisure time in non-agricultural seasons by weaving carpets.
Faraji stressed that the industry needs the support of all Iranians to survive.
Meanwhile, a senior commercial official said that a draft bill on protection of and legal support for design of carpets is now being drawn up.
Head of the Commercial Studies and Research Institute Mahmoud Dodangeh said the bill is aimed at providing legal support for handwoven Persian carpets design and motif overseas.
Once approved, the bill would deal with imitation of Iranian carpets and their presentation to the market under the name of Persian carpets, said the official.
Weavers from China, India and Pakistan have recently imitated the features of Persian carpets and sold them in the name of various Iranian tribes, he added.
Features of Persian carpets, such as the motifs, warps and woofs and knots, depend on the geography of the area, where they are woven, he said.
Dodangeh said that such imitation would mislead foreign customers and make them lose confidence in Persian carpets, he noted. In the long-run, this would also be detrimental to the country’s original carpet-weaving craft, concluded the official.

More lands have been brought under saffron cultivation this year.

Saffron production is expected to reach 220 tons in the year to March 2008, announced head of the Fund for Development of Saffron Export.
Ali Shariati Moqaddam was quoted by IRIB as saying that price of the precious spice increased due to the 40 percent decline in saffron production in southern parts of Khorasan Razavi province.
Severe drought that hit southern parts of Khorasan Razavi province, the largest producer of the luxury spice, has led to a decline in saffron production in the northeastern province to 77 percent of the level recorded the previous year.
“According to Khorasan Razavi Agricultural Jihad Department, more area has been brought under saffron cultivation,“ he elaborated.
Shariati Moqaddam stated that the base price of 16 million rials per kilogram is approved by the Fund for Development of Saffron Export, blaming the rise in the prices of ’red gold’ on hoarding, increase in spurious products as well as bulk saffron exports.
He noted that the increase in spurious products and export in bulk quantities (in a bid to earn more) will cause Iran to lose its competitive edge in the global market.
If Iran’s saffron loses ground in overseas markets, new rivals such as Afghanistan will emerge, the expert cautioned, adding that this will ultimately prove harmful to ’real’ saffron exporters.
He earlier pointed out that the hike in global saffron prices has tempted some domestic merchants to mix their export products with various additives or pass off cheap herbs as the real saffron.
Warning against the dishonest practice, Shariati Moqaddam stated that the increase in the price of this precious spice has put the global saffron market at risk.
Domestic and foreign consumers cannot rely on unstable market, he added.

Deputy head of Privatization Organization said Saturday that three percent shares of National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICIC) and less than one percent of stocks of Mobarakeh Steel Complex (MSC) will be offered at the stock exchange today.
According to ISNA, Mehdi Aqdaei noted that about 15 million out of 5.8 billion NICIC stocks priced at 9,000 rials each will be floated in the bourse.
Also, close to 40 million out of 15.8 billion MSC shares will be put on sale.
He explained that the organization will transfer shares on behalf of Iran Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).
“We are waiting for issuance of permits for international sale of 51 percent shares (in block) of MSC and Khuzestan Steel Company.“
If the permits are issued, the ground will be paved for competition among Iranian and foreign share buyers, he concluded.
Shares of giant state companies are offered at the stock exchange in line with implementation of Article 44 of the Constitution. The article seeks large-scale privatization in key economic areas.
Earlier sale of MSC, NICIC and Khuzestan Steel Company was welcomed by purchasers.

Manager of Total Christophe de Margerie said the giant energy group would press on with talks on Pars LNG, Iran’s first liquefied natural gas export terminal, a project which requires a $15 billion investment, adding Total would look at the political situation only once a deal is ready.
“We can’t produce if we are forbidden to. Every one has to take their responsibilities,“ he said, after pointing out that the world needed a return to normal production levels in countries like Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela in order to meet consumption needs of around 100 million barrels per day by 2030.
Last week, Margerie told French newspaper Le Monde that Total was under ’very strong’ pressure from the United States to withdraw from Iran. France has also asked French companies to exercise restraint in dealing with Iran and Myanmar, Reuters reported.
As global demand for oil and gas rises, consumer countries cannot afford to blacklist producing countries on geopolitical grounds, the head of Total, which is present in Iran and Myanmar, said.
“The problem is that some reserves are locked up, either because producing countries have other considerations or because of the geopolitics,“ Margerie told a seminar organized by the French employers’ federation MEDEF.
“I am not talking about resource nationalism from host countries, I am talking about the geopolitical game of consumer countries who want to have their cake and eat it,“ he said.
Total has recently been put on the spot for its presence in Iran, which is locked in a standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program, and for remaining in Myanmar.
The world’s fourth-biggest Western energy group by market capitalization has defended its presence in both countries.
“It’s all well to say ’we want more oil, we want more gas’ but you can’t point your finger at certain (producing) countries“ that are not democratic, Margerie said.
“I am not here to do politics or give lessons, certainly not, but we (energy groups) are here to say ’this is the situation and this is how much (production) you are taking out of the market with your (political) decisions’,“ he said.

Income from Iran’s car export is expected to hit a record $600 million high this year if sales put at $300 million in six months remain uninterrupted.
“Iran intends to win one percent of the car and spare parts exports throughout the world within the next ten years,“ Iran Khodro Managing Director Manouchehr Manteqi said in Tehran.
He stated that every one million dollar rise in export income will mount the domestic gross products by two billion dollars which in turn will create 23,000 job opportunities, IRNA reported.
The official who heads Middle East’s largest auto manufacturer said “It’s like moving on a bumpy road to find a room in world market and the existing trade laws have made our presence slow in world market.“
To speed up the process, Manteqi called for reducing red tapes in a bid to ease the export processing.
Iran’s auto manufacturing industry, born in 1957 with the assembling of Jeep, is currently the 16th largest in the world, producing one million buses, lorries and cars. The country has an ambitious plan to increase car production to 1.6 million next year.

Hyundai Company will deliver the second tanker by March.

The country received its first oil tanker ordered from South Korea-based shipbuilder Hyundai Company.
Managing director of the National Iranian Oil Tanker Company (NITC) elaborated that the 317,000-ton tanker worth $128 million would berth within 20 days at an Iranian port, ISNA reported.
Under the time framework agreed between Tehran and Seoul, Hyundai would deliver the second tanker by next March.
In all, of the 17 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) ordered by Iran, 13 would be able to carry 317,000 tons of oil and four will have the capacity of 64,000 tons.
Once the total tankers are delivered, the capacity of Iran’s fleet for oil transportation would increase to 10.8 million tons.
This is while, according to PressTV report, the capacity of Iranian tankers currently stands at six million tons, putting it in the sixth position worldwide.
Iran plans to expand its fleet to increase oil transportation capacity to 11 million tons by 2010 which would put it at fourth position in the world.
NITC, a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company, uses ships to transport its own crude and oil products, and also hires out its tankers.
Iran holds 11 percent of the world’s oil reserves, and has the world’s second-largest gas reserves.
It pumps out about four million barrels per day to world markets, with about 60 percent bound for Asia, and the rest shipped to Europe.

Contractors who employ illegal foreign laborers including Afghans will be fined, head of Tehran Labor Department warned.
Mohammad Taqi Haj Qasemi told MNA on Saturday that each Iranian employer has to pay 700,000 rials of tax and other fees for employment of each foreign worker, so some employers violate the law.
“Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has taken legal actions against offending contractors in the past three months,“ he said, adding that accords have been reached with Tehran Municipality on employment of Afghans.
“If employers insist on employing foreign workforce (without permit), they will be fined over 300,000 rials for each illegal worker in the initial stage. If they continue to breach the law, a cash penalty of 610,000 rials (in second time) and imprisonment and heavy cash penalties (for third time) will await them.“
Afghan laborers holding work permits are only authorized to work in 37 ’cheap’ jobs, the official stressed.
“Afghan workers can work in professions such as drilling and permits would not be issued under any circumstances for working in jobs that can be done by Iranians.“
Haj Qasemi noted that Islamic Republic of Iran Police and Interior Ministry will soon start the third round of a campaign to crack down on illegal foreign workers.
Labor Ministry also plans to make the situation difficult for foreign workers and better for Iranian laborers, he stated.

Based on an agreement signed between Housing Minister, Tehran Mayor and head of Tehran City Council, all buildings across the country will be issued technical specification cards.
According to CHN, the agreement was in line with the implementation of national regulations for buildings and aimed at promoting the quality of construction and facilitating the issuance of construction permits.
Although the delay in reaching an agreement had led to speculations about an apparent dispute between the ministry and municipality, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf denied any disagreement and said that the two entities have an understanding and coordinate their activities.
Chairman of Tehran City Council’s Development Commission told Fars news agency this week that the agreement was reached at the council’s 43rd session.
Hamzeh Shakib added that Housing Minister Mohammad Saeedikia, Head of Civil Engineers Registration Organization Mohammad Gharazi and Qalibaf signed the deal on Oct. 8.
According to councilor, the organization has about two and half a months to make preparations for overseeing and supervision of constructions in the megapolis.
He noted that issuance of cards for buildings above 3,000-square-meter will start from December 22.
All buildings in Tehran will gradually have technical specification cards by March 2009.