Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad simultaneously inaugurated wheat storage projects in five major wheat growing provinces on Wednesday.
In the ’Barekat Festival’ held at Shahid Beheshti Hall of the Presidential Office, President Ahmadinejad inaugurated via video-conference 18 wheat storage silos in the provinces of West Azarbaijan, Zanjan, North Khorasan, Ilam and Hamedan, IRNA reported.
Including wheat storage capacity in Tehran province, a total of 528,000 tons of wheat can be stored nationwide.
The president communicated with officials in each province in which the silos were launched, during the 10-Day Dawn celebration, marking the anniversary of the victory of 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Speaking at the event, he said that the country must become the most developed in the world as it is rapidly progressing. “The Iranian people are among the world’s noblest. This can be proved on the basis of dozens of factors.“
Despite all their dastardly and disagreeable behavior, today, the enemies stand ill-equipped and shameful, while it is the Iranian nation that has overcome all obstructions and gained pride and honor through trust in God,“ he added.
He thanked the farmers and officials in the provinces for their contribution to increasing wheat storage and production capacity as well as their efforts in making Iran a wheat exporter.
The president also spoke of the government’s plans on production, distribution and subsidies of bread nationwide.
On removing bread subsidies, he said that making the subsidies target-oriented does not mean increasing the price of bread. Bread production costs could be reduced by taking certain initiatives such as making production industrialized, he contended. If bread production is mechanized, many expenses would be reduced, he underlined.
The president called bakers as the most hard-working strata of the society and hoped to solve a part of their problems.
Silo construction is a major step which began some times ago through the efforts of people, he said, adding it is near to bearing fruits. Once the under-construction silos are completed, the country will become self-sufficient from March 20, he added.
Currently, only 40 percent of domestic capacities are used in flour production, he said, calling for utilizing all vacant capacities.

Wheat and grain output has increased by three times compared to the period before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Production of farm crops has reached 74 million tons in the current Iranian year (to end March 19) from 19 million tons in 1977, said deputy agricultural jihad minister for plant production.
Mohammadreza Jahansouz told IRIB that wheat and grain output has increased three times compared to the period before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Underlining that maize production has increased 131 times against the figure for the pre-1979 era, he said that currently the output is about 10 percent ahead of the target set in the Fourth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2005-2010).
“We have witnessed four and 29-fold growth in production of paddy and oilseeds in comparison with the amounts for before 1979.“
Horticultural crop output which stood at 2.7 million tons in 1977, registered a six-fold growth in 2007, said the official.
Production of strategic products is a priority for the ministry, he underlined.
Iran stands in first in the world in terms of pomegranate, saffron and pistachio production while it is second in date production. It ranks third and fourth in the world in apricot and walnut production respectively.
On growing aloe vera plant in southern Bushehr province, he said that given domestic potentials, the cultivation of the crop in the region is promising.

Funds for transportation sector have increased by 100 percent in the 2008-9 budget bill compared to the amount allocated in the year to March 2008, minister of road and transportation said.
“Based on the budget bill, some 19.9 trillion rials should be set aside for projects in the sector next year,“ Mohammad Rahmati told IRNA.
He stated that the railway transportation is the top priority in next year’s budget, adding that funds for this sector tripled from the figure for the current year.
Rahmati noted that that the amount envisaged for road transportation has also increased in next year’s budget bill compared to the sum set aside for the year to March.
Referring to the differences between next year’s budget and the current one, the minister underlined that next year’s transportation sector budget is more flexible. “The flexibility of the next year’s budget bill will help expedite the completion of unfinished projects next year,“ he said.
According to the March 2008-2009 budget bill, some 175.3 billion rials will be allocated to the State Meteorology Organization, 339.6 billion rials to Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran and 17.7 billion rials to the High Training Center for Aviation and State Airports.
“Over 2.1 trillion rials will be made available to the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company, 12.9 trillion rials to State Transportation Infrastructure Development Company, 1.32 trillion rials to Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization and 400 billion rials to Raja Railway Passenger Transport Company,“ the report concluded.

Growth rate of value-added in the industrial sector stands at 11.7 percent, announced Minister of Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian.
Addressing a gathering of industrialists in Eshtehard, near Karaj, Tehran province, he noted that further efforts should be made to increase this rate to a desirable level.
The minister said that lack of cooperation between banks and investors is the major problem facing industries, according to IRNA.
Criticizing the structure of the country’s banking network, Mehrabian said that the government aims to adopt proper strategies to tackle this.
Three projects including a ceramic plant, a film factory and a CD factory also went on stream in Eshtehard.
Meanwhile, speaking in the inaugural ceremony of Practical Research Center of Geological Sciences, a subsidiary of Geology and Mineral Exploitation Organization, on Tuesday, Mehrabian said that 791 industrial and mining projects will go into operation during the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations (February 1-11 which marks the anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution).
He said that the projects, which were completed at a cost of 76,000 billion rials plus $1.6 billion, have created 45,000 jobs.
The research center includes three sections: Laboratory, International Activities and Scientific and Research Activities.
“This is the first geological research center which was established by a group of specialists in four months,“ Mehrabian noted.
He hoped that similar centers would be set up in other parts of the country.
Mehrabian noted that a number of projects in foodstuff, steel and metal sectors will go on stream during the period.
The minister stated that the newly established geological research center will accelerate mineral exploration.

Iranian energy producing companies are participating in Bahrain’s POWER-GEN Middle East Conference and Exhibition.
Iran’s Ambassador to Bahrain Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited the Iranian section of the international exhibit in Manama on Thursday, IRNA reported.
Some 50 government and 150 energy producing companies are taking part in Manama’s four-day event during which 28 conferences focusing on energy are being held. Managers from 90 companies, including those from Iran (Mapna and Sanir), outlined their achievements and works in these sessions.
Mapna is one of the most successful energy producing companies in Iran which took part in the event as a sponsor. Mapna and Sanir managed to ink contracts with several countries at the event.
In a meeting with the Iranian ambassador, representatives of these companies urged the government to facilitate the issuance of travel documents in order to implement a new power station project in Bahrain.
Ambassador Abdollahian underlined the growing ties between Iran and Bahrain, and said both governments are keen on broadening ties in all fields.
He said, “Thanks to the recent agreement, the volume of Iran-Bahrain trade has been on the rise and certain barriers are to be lifted in the near future. Nuclear power as well as alternative energy and fossil fuels are all options for Iran’s growing energy needs.“
Demand for electricity is likely to more than double in the next 10 years as more of the country is electrified and industry continues to grow, according to Iran Power Plants Projects Management’s vice president for business development, M. A. Dolatabadi.
While his company is not directly involved in the nuclear industry he believes that nuclear power must remain an option for Iran’s growing energy demands.
Speaking to the GDN at the POWER-GEN Middle East Conference and Exhibition, he said that the country had to look at a wide range of options available to meet the needs of its expanding economy and the electrification of its entire rail network.
“We need to combine the use of hydrocarbon energy with solar energy and wind power and, if necessary, with nuclear power,“ he said. “We are involved in developing numerous power plants across Iran and overseas but there is a point that the country may need to develop nuclear power. Given the high oil price, we need to look at alternatives and these days nuclear power is not only economic but it is also clean and environmentally-friendly.“
Last week, 45 Iranian companies also took part in Bahrain’s Annual Trade Fair.

Domestic engineers designed and launched the production line for Suzuki Vitara in Iran Khodro Khorasan (IKK) plant, announced the factory’s managing director, Mohammad Mehdi Siadat.
He told IRNA that Japanese experts have approved the capability of the full SUVs’ production line. “Once the line becomes operational, about 2,500 and more than 7,000 Vitara SUVs would be manufactured in the factory by March 21, 2008 and in the year to March 2009 respectively,“ he stated.
Vitara car, produced, by Japanese automaker Suzuki, has a 10-year record in the Iranian market, he noted.
The official said that Iran Khodro Khorasan project will be built at a cost of 1,500 billion rials, 85 percent of which have been spent on the construction of production saloon, administrative building and assembly line.
He noted that the IKK factory has generated 1,000 job opportunities in Khorasan Razavi province.
Vitara meets Euro 4 standards and has a two-liter engine which produces 140hp. In addition, this vehicle also has air bags and is equipped with ABS and EBD.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara was a compact SUV, namely a long-wheelbase version of the Vitara, produced by the Japanese automaker Suzuki since 1999. It was face-lifted in 2002 and 2004, and redesigned in 2006.

After the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the capacity of power plants witnessed a sevenfold growth.

Nominal capacity of power plants has reached 49,000 megawatts of which 6,700 MW pertain to hydroelectric power plants, announced managing director of Iran’s Power Development Organization said.
According to IRIBnews, Mohammad Behzad noted that over 20 percent has been added annually to the amount of electricity generated by power plants in recent years.
“After the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the capacity of power plants witnessed a seven-fold growth,“ he pointed out.
Putting the capacity of the nationwide power plants at 37,000 MW in 2004-2005, he stated that based on 20-Year Vision Plan, the capacity of power plants should increase to 100,000 MW.
He underlined that some 4,000 MW in the Fourth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2005-2010), 5,000 MW in the fifth and sixth plans (2010-2015) some 5,000 MW and 6,000 MW in the seventh plan are to be added annually to the electricity network.
“Over one million rials are needed for generating, distributing and transferring each kWh of electricity,“ he said, stating some 50,000 billion rials should be invested in the power industry.
He termed increasing the output of power plants as the upcoming plans of the organization, adding the combined cycle power plants should be constructed.
He noted that a number of gas-fueled power plants with a total capacity of 12,000 megawatts have been commissioned or are under construction nationwide.
If they are converted into combined cycle power plants, about 6,000 megawatts would be added to the domestic power production capacity without the need for extra fuel, he stated.
He put the cost of constructing the steam sector of a 6 megawatt combined cycle power plant at 6 trillion rials.
Behzad further noted that some 45 percent of the power plants are under construction by the private sector.
“Currently the construction of 30,000 MW power plants have been ceded to the private sector,“ he said, adding that by the middle of the fifth economic development plan, construction of power plants will be entirely taken up by the private sector.

Construction of Dehloran Petrochemical Complex in Ilam province began on Thursday in a ceremony attended by Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Nejabat and a group of provincial officials, IRNA reported.
At the ceremony, Nejabat said that the complex would become operational in four years thus improving the job market in the province.
The official noted that once the complex is completed, 41 percent of its shares will be transferred to the public. “The feedstock of the complex will be supplied from Ilam Gas Refinery,“ he said.
Ali Mohammad Azad, Ilam’s governor general said for his part that with the completion of the project, unemployment rate in the province will improve.
He said that part of the complex’s productions will be exported to Iraq.
Dehloran Petrochemical Complex will be built on an area of 30 hectares jointly by the government and private sector. This is the second petrochemical complex in Ilam. Some $500 million as well as 150 billion rials credit has been allocated for the plan.