Official Calls for Revival of Ecosystem
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari has underscored the revival of the ecosystem in the country.
Speaking among some cooperatives activists, Sattari said that the country should change its approach for running the affairs.
He added petro approach causes the country to think that it can fix all things with money and this will lead to the destruction of the ecosystem.
He emphasized the existence of ecosystem infrastructures in the country, saying, “In the past 10 years and with petro money, we have destroyed the bases of ecosystem and with the assistance of knowledge and entrepreneurship spirit, we should revive this ecosystem.”
Sattari reiterated that startups do not need loans, adding there are people who are ready to risk for investment in startups and since cooperative are in control of big markets, they should first open their markets for startups and welcome any innovation in their activities.
Meanwhile during the meeting, Head of Iran Chamber of Cooperatives Bahman Abdollahi said that the ICC and Vice President for Science and Technology are to set up a joint committee.
He added, “Cooperatives are the second pillar of the national economy and currently over 94,000 cooperatives with more than 14m members are active in the country and more than 40m people take advantage of their services.
He went on to say that nine percent of occupation in the country equals 1.8m people in the cooperatives sector which indicates the vastness of cooperatives among people.
Abdollahi also noted that cooperatives in terms of quantity have grown significantly in recent years and currently, boosting quality and deepening it in the cooperatives sector is raised.
On the demands of activities of cooperatives sector, he said they are after forming knowledge-based cooperatives, easing condition and employing all capacities of the knowledge-based in the cooperatives.
Meanwhile Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare Mr. Mohammad Kabiri, for his part, said that currently two centers for innovation and developing cooperative have been inaugurated in Fars and Kurdestan provinces and they will increase to 12 provinces by the yearend.
He added during the past year, the ministry has tried to move towards innovation in the cooperative sector and the ministry has spent considerable time on the issue.
Kabiri further said that one of the actions of the ministry is to inaugurate 10 more centers in the provinces based on capacities by the yearend.
