President Rouhani highlights development, sustainability of export markets

The president made the remark in a meeting with officials in charge of administering the country’s economic affairs, a host of non-oil exporters and Managing Director of Mobarakeh Steel Company Dr. Bahram Sobhani. 
President Rouhani hailed as necessary, praiseworthy and valuable the efforts of non-oil exporters to diversify the products they ship abroad and boost customer trust in Iranian-made products, saying diverse non-oil exports will help make the national economy less vulnerable. The president also voiced his government’s readiness to lend support to job-creating initiatives by non-oil exporters through the resources of the Central Bank and the National Development Fund.
One of the best ways to serve the country and people is to make efforts to spur production and create decent jobs for the Iranian youth, the president said, adding Iranian producers and exporters are expected to redouble their efforts when it comes to production, employment and introduction of Iranian products and brands to the world.  
He pointed to the negative effects of one-crop exports on the Iranian economy and said, “Without a doubt, diversified non-oil exports will reduce the vulnerability of the economy.”
President Rouhani said access to export markets and subsequent efforts to maintain them are key to raising the country’s production, boosting exports and creating jobs. “Speedy access to export markets is an important step, so is meticulous attention to the health and quality of products for maintaining such markets. If export markets lost their trust in a brand, rebuilding such a trust would be difficult.”
As far as exports of products are concerned, what matters most is close attention to consumer demand and measures to retain their trust in the products, the president said, adding, “It is a source of honor for Iranians to see one of their own brands win consumer trust in the world. An Iranian brand trusted by the world serves as a valuable promotion of the whole country and demonstrates the ethical commitment and faith of Iranian producers.”     
The president went on to say that manufacturers and exporters needs to find ways to reduce the consumption level of natural resources, especially water, cut costs and restore trust in investment. 
In the meeting, President Rouhani tasked the ministers of industries, mines and trade and economy as well as the governor of the Central Bank with working out plans to cut costs in order to pave the way for exporters in both public and private sectors to directly export their products to target countries and collect their money in foreign currencies.   
The chief executive also called for identification and review of job-creating initiatives put forward by reliable non-oil manufacturers and exporters and for granting bank loans or – if necessary – money from the National Development Fund to these exporters and manufacturers.
In the meeting, managers of key manufacturing enterprises which play an instrumental role in non-oil exports discussed the obstacles standing in the way of production and exports. In response, President Rouhani assigned the related officials to take measures to settle those problems.