Hossein Ateed/Hammihan Newspaper: The incident at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas has once again deeply affected Iranian society in crisis. The Iranian people are going through a difficult time: inflation due to the rising dollar, occasional threats from Trump and Netanyahu, frequent power outages, a severe and devastating drought, frostbite on agricultural products, the uncontrollable presence of illegal immigrants in the country, an increase in petty theft, heartbreaking road accidents, and more. Official reports reveal a deterioration in mental health within society, which has sounded alarm bells and could cause irreparable long-term damage. In this context, the incident in Bandar Abbas has increased the pressure on our angry society recently, and I hope the situation will be handled as best as possible, with the wisdom of the authorities and the cooperation of the people, so that peace can return. I have been working in the Sirjan Special Economic Zone as a public relations and human resources manager since 2013. Given the similarity of my work in the region to Shahid Rajaee Port, I would like to remind you of a few points regarding this incident that, if taken into account, could help reduce this type of incident and its consequences. According to statistics, more than 50% of the country's imports passed through Shahid Rajaee Port last year. Given the current situation in Iran and the Israeli and American threats, how did such a small port become the entry point for more than half of Iran's goods? In 1993, the Sirjan Special Economic Zone was established with several objectives, including supporting Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas. It was planned that some of the containers imported into the country would be transported to the Sirjan Special Economic Zone thanks to favorable weather conditions and its proximity to Bandar Abbas. All the necessary facilities and infrastructure, including nine kilometers of dedicated railways, a dock, and loading and unloading equipment, were available in the area. However, due to individual and collective interests, and prevailing rents, this important project remained unrealized and remained an idea and slogan.
In 2010, the country's free and special zones news website also addressed this issue by publishing an article titled "Sirjan Special Economic Zone: The Best Support for Hormozgan Province Customs." Now that this incident has occurred and led to the paralysis of a significant portion of import and export goods, the importance of changing attitudes on this issue and reducing the level of imports from Shahid Rajaee Port is more evident than ever. According to the aforementioned article, transporting some of the containers to Sirjan could have mitigated the severity of this incident and would certainly have reduced the country's problems. It is unclear when imports and exports will return to normal, given the destruction of part of the infrastructure and a significant number of containers in the recent incident at Shahid Rajaee Port. The extent of the damage suffered by the country is also unknown. What problems and shortages of goods will the country face in the coming days? What will happen if a more serious incident occurs in the coming years? How long will it take to modernize this infrastructure?
According to some economic theories, consolidating infrastructure and transferring goods from a single location can be cost-effective and strengthen the level of control. However, given the current situation and the problems facing the country, a judicious distribution of goods imports can prevent these problems and strengthen the country's security. Less security-sensitive goods requiring a temperate climate can be transferred to Bandar Abbas Customs, particularly the Sirjan Special Economic Zone Customs, which will promote the prosperity of these areas and reduce security problems. The country's authorities can examine this issue and make wise decisions in this regard.
Leave your comment