After the Islamic Revolution, Jahangiri served as the head of Jiroft Construction Jihad Organization for two years as well as a member of Construction Jihad Council of Kerman Province. He represented Jiroft constituency in the second and third terms of the Majlis, and was later appointed as the governor general of Isfahan Province in 1992.
When President Khatami introduced Esshaq Jahangiri as his proposed minister of mines & metals, he obtained a vote of confidence from the parliament with 182 votes out of a total of 260. However, his approval as the man in charge of the newly-established Ministry of Industries & Mines was a lot smoother at the parliament. This may have two reasons: Either Jahangiri has proved his capabilities beyond a single ministry, or the parliament (Sixth Majlis) is reluctant to debate a cabinet which is near the end of its four-year term.
This article looks at the challenges of leading a ministry as huge as Industries & Mines, the status of the industrial and mining sectors in terms of international partnership, and the very vital steps that should soon be taken to direct this ministry where it is expected to be.

Targeting More Than Numbers: Based on the plans and programs announced prior to the merger, the then ministries of Mines & Metals and Industries were aiming for certain numbers: 14.7 million tons of annual steel output by the end of the Third Development Plan, 500,000 vehicles, x tons of aluminum, x tons of copper, x million of revenues, etc. But is that all there is to development?
Esshaq Jahangiri once stressed that under President Khatami’s administration, the country’s economy and industry had both grown remarkably, arguing with those who questioned the economic performance of President Khatami’s system. Bringing instances in support of his claim, Jahangiri stated, “Iranian steel has demands in most industrial countries due to its fine quality. For production of each ton of steel in 1996, Iran had to spend $100 on raw materials while this cost dropped to $45 last year. In the past 3 years, the Iranian steel industry has experienced 3 million tons of increase in smelting capacity and 2.79 million tons of increase in final production capacity.”
These are clear indications that Jahangiri is aware of the fact that development goes way beyond targeting numbers. For a developing country like Iran which also happens to be dependent on oil revenues, true development in the industries and mines sector demands greater efforts locally and shaking hands with efficient partners internationally.
The Ministry of Industries and Mines is expected to target something more than numbers: potentials, long-term cooperation, international partnership and modern management.

Partners Around the World: The former Minister of Mines & Metals has on occasion pointed to the effects of international environment and political issues on economic and industrial progress, declaring that the slow progress of some industrial operations between 1989-1996 was mainly due to the fact that the international political environment was not much in favor of the Islamic Republic of Iran in that period. Drawing on improved international relations, the Ministry of Mines & Metals later signed five steel contracts for the value of $700 million with Italy’s Danieli.
The Ministry of Industries and Mines has now giants under its umbrella like National Iranian Steel Industries Company (NISCO), Iran Khodro Auto Manufacturing Group, National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO), Saipa Auto Manufacturing Group and IRALCO. Working with some world-class partners across Europe and the Far East, these companies are likely to get ahead of the Ministry in pursuit of their global ambitions if the Ministry of Industries and Mines proves slow in progress and management.

Great Expectations: For a country that is struggling to promote non-oil exports, almost every commodity produced by subsidiaries of the Ministry of Industries and Mines is expected to be exported for the sake of job creation and increase in forex revenues. This demands a strong determination to comply with international standards in terms of quantity and quality.
Privatization, re-activation of some existing industrial plants, establishing greater links between the Iranian industrial-mining sector and global players, providing greater facilities for small and medium industries, and offering more room to industrialists and exporters are some of the measures that the new ministry can adopt to achieve the progress that it is expected to make.
The Ministry of Industries and Mines has the opportunity, and the responsibility, of playing a leading role in internationalization of Iranian economy.