East Azerbaijan's Share of National Banking Resources Not Proportionate to the Province's Capacity

Tabriz – The MP for Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr called for a review of the allocation of banking resources and an increase in the province's share to support production and investment.

According to Mehr reporter, Alireza Manadi, in the meeting of the East Azerbaijan Planning and Development Council on Thursday morning, with the presence of the President Masoud Mezikian's webinar, referring to the historical and cultural background of Tabriz, considered this city as one of the influential centers in the history of Iran and emphasized the need to pay attention to the capacities of the province in national planning.

Referring to the historical role of Tabriz in the country's developments, he said: Azerbaijan and Tabriz have had an important place in the scientific, cultural, economic and political fields since the past, and this history should be taken into account in decisions related to the development of the region.

The share of banking resources of East Azerbaijan needs to be reviewed

The representative of the people of Tabriz, Esku and Azarshahr in the parliament, emphasizing on the industrial and production capacities of East Azerbaijan, said: This province has extensive capabilities in the industry, steel, private activities and economic productivity, but the extent of its benefit from banking resources is not proportional to these capacities.

Referring to the figure of 32 billion dollars mentioned in his speech, Manadi added: Of this amount, only one billion dollars is allocated to East Azerbaijan and the majority of banking resources are concentrated in Tehran.

He called for the government to pay more attention to the financing situation of the production and industrial units of the province and emphasized: proper access to banking resources can play an effective role in the development of industries, support for investment and increase in production capacity.

Completion of Aras water transfer plan to meet the needs of the province

Menadi further mentioned the water issue as one of the most important challenges for the development of East Azerbaijan and said: Aras water transfer plan has been pursued since the 8th parliament period and legal and credit measures have been taken to advance it.

Pointing to the need to speed up the implementation of this project, he said: the use of the Aras water transfer project can help provide drinking water and agricultural needs in Tabriz and the cities along the route, including Marand, Sufian and Shabestar.

The representative of the people of Tabriz, Esco and Azarshahr also pointed to the capacity of the Tabriz wastewater treatment plant and said: This complex has about 150 million cubic meters of treatment capacity, and the majority of Tabriz's wastewater is treated in it. However, the treated effluent is not directed to Lake Urmia.

Referring to the connection between Aras water transfer and water resource management and the restoration of Lake Urmia, he emphasized the necessity of pursuing these issues at the same time.

The need to complete the railway connection between Khavaran and Tabriz

Referring to the status of the Khavaran-Tabriz railway line, Manadi considered the completion of this route as one of the other infrastructure demands of the province and requested the support of the government to solve the problems and speed up its implementation.

He stated that the development of the railway network is important in strengthening the communication and economic activities of the province, and emphasized the necessity of removing the existing obstacles and completing the required infrastructure.

Universities and scientific centers should contribute more to the development of the province

Referring to the scientific and academic capacity of East Azerbaijan, the representative of the people of Tabriz, Esku and Azarshahr said: This province has a strong scientific support and manpower, but the issues of its universities, knowledge-based companies and science and technology parks need more attention.

Menadi emphasized the need to strengthen the connection between universities and industry and support the research and technological capacities of the province and called for the provision of more opportunities for the scientific power of East Azerbaijan in the path of economic development.

The industrial capacity of the province serves the economic growth of the country

Referring to the 8% economic growth target in the 7th development plan, he considered increasing productivity as one of the requirements for achieving this goal and described East Azerbaijan as having important capacities in this field.

Referring to the significant contribution of the province in the country's steel production and the extent of the private sector's activities, Menadi said: East Azerbaijan's industrial and production capacities can play a greater role in increasing productivity and realizing the country's economic goals.

He also pointed to the opening of several industrial and energy projects in the province during the government's recent visit, and announced the launch of a steel project with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons in Shebester and an electricity production project with a capacity of 400 megawatts.

Emphasis on the historical position and role of the people of Azerbaijan

In another part of his speech, Menadi pointed to the role of Tabriz and Azerbaijan in the historical developments of Iran, pointed to the struggles of the constitutional era and the stand of Sattar Khan, and emphasized the role of the people of this region in defending the country's independence and preserving religious values.

Referring to the historical and cultural links of Azerbaijan with other regions of Iran, he called for appropriate attention to the position of this region in policies and development plans.

The representative of the people of Tabriz, Esco and Azarshahr also appreciated the efforts to reopen the Tabriz airport and the damaged communication routes, referring to the performance of the provincial administration during the war and attacks on the infrastructure.

At the end, Menadi thanked Mohammad Jaafar Qaimpanah, executive vice president, provincial managers and representatives present at the meeting, and emphasized the necessity of pursuing the demands of East Azerbaijan in the field of banking resources, water and transportation infrastructure, universities and industries.