Page 53 - IRANRptNov20

9.1.10​ Property sector news
Iran levies tax on speculators keeping homes empty
Iran has commenced its long-awaited scheme to push thousands of apartments and homes kept empty by owners on to the market by imposing an “empty home tax”, YJC reported on September 22.
A barrage of SMS messages was reportedly sent out to hundreds of thousands of mobile numbers, thought to be those of owners, informing them of their tax liability.
More than 109,000 residential properties have been officially listed as vacant on the Iranian Tax Affairs Organisation’s website as part of the first phase of a plan to force owners to rent or sell the empty homes. Part of the reasoning of the government is that developers are sitting on brand new apartment blocks in the hope that the per square-metre price on unlived-in flats rises.
Mahmoud Mahmoudzadeh, Deputy Housing and Construction Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said more than 500,000 SMS messages were sent out to registered telephone numbers of those thought liable for the tax. "The information on vacant units will be provided to the Tax Affairs Organisation and this organisation will collect taxes through the available information," he said.
The move would help deflate home prices and control the housing market, partly by removing speculators from the system, he added.
"The rise in housing prices over the past few years has been caused by the increasing dollar and gold coin prices, and parallel markets," Mahmoudzadeh also said.
He also mentioned a previous move made by his ministry in which Tehran rental prices and those of other cities were capped on a price per square metre basis.
"Fortunately, statistical and initial assessments in the rental market are showing that this market is moving towards a calmer situation," he said
9.1.11 ​Metallurgy & mining sector news
Iran’s Kouhdom Goldmine has reportedly come on stream
Iran’s Kouhdom Goldmine has come on stream, according to the Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company, as cited by Mining on October 13.
The publication quoted a statement from the company in which it said that a total of £7.65mn has been invested in the development project of the reserve, which is expected to produce 100kgs of gold ore and 1,000 tonnes of copper oxide annually.
The new mine, located 110 kilometres northeast of the city of Ardestan in the Isfahan Province of central Iran, is expected to process 200 kilograms per year in the first phase. An adjacent processing and extraction factory is also reportedly set to come on stream in the near future. Kouhdom is said to contain approximately 1.7mn tonnes of proven reserves of gold ore, Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company has stated.
The company is a subsidiary of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation, which was initiated in 2015. Speaking at the recent inauguration of another gold mine, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran’s gold ingot output has registered a 14-fold leap over the past seven years.
Mining also reported that the Zar-Kouh Mining Company, based in the western Kurdestan Province, also recently launched a new gold mine. Sari-Guni mine was inaugurated by Rouhani in August, via video conference. This mine comes on stream with an investment of £7.65mn as well and will employ 350
53​ IRAN Country Report November 2020 www.intellinews.com