According to the Public Relations of the Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company, on Tuesday, February 9, 2024, a meeting was held at the office of the Kurdistan Governorate with the presence of Amirhossein Naderi, CEO of Saderat Investment Holding (Tassico), Meqdad Majedi, CEO of the Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company, Mohammadreza Rezvaniyan Zadeh, Advisor to the CEO and Manager of Projects and Plans at Saderat Investment Holding, Esmail Zarei-Kosha, Governor of Kurdistan Province, and Ali Nouri, Deputy for Economic Coordination of Kurdistan Province, regarding issues related to the construction of the Saqqez Gold Extraction Plant project.
Naderi, at the beginning of the meeting, stated: "The Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company is a subsidiary of Saderat Investment Holding (Tassico) and affiliated with Shasta. It was established in 2013 in Kurdistan Province with the goal of designing, constructing, and operating gold and precious metal mines in the Saqqez region.
He added: "The construction of the Saqqez Gold Extraction Plant project, with an investment of over 65 million dollars and a goal of producing 500 kilograms of gold bullion annually, was launched in December 2022 following the groundbreaking ceremony by Ayatollah Raisi, the esteemed President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the planned timeline, the plant will be operational by the end of next year, with its feedstock being sourced from the Qalaqleh Gold Mine, which has a proven and probable reserve of 30 million tons of ore."
Naderi emphasized that this project will be the largest gold project in the Kurdistan region, named the "Driving Force Project for the Economy of Kurdistan Province," and will create 500 jobs for the local population.
The CEO of the Saderat Investment Holding (TASICO) discussed the current status of the project during the meeting, stating that the main engineering work has been completed, and within the next two months, orders for the main production line equipment will be placed. He added that the excavation operations, which were a significant part of the construction process, have been completed. In the remaining time, from placing the orders to receiving the equipment for the production line, the necessary structures and foundations for their installation will be executed.
The Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saderat Investment Holding (TASICO) concluded by requesting special support from the relevant authorities in Kurdistan Province, particularly the esteemed Governor, in areas related to the project. This includes addressing obstacles and issues within government organizations to issue permits during the execution phase and cooperation in granting mining areas with gold potential in the Kurdistan region, ensuring the supply of feedstock for the Saqqez Gold Extraction Plant and justifying the investment in the expansion phase of the plant.
Ismail Zarei-Kousha, the Governor of Kurdistan, also expressed appreciation for the efforts of TASICO and the Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company in executing this national project. He added, "Following meetings with senior Shasta managers regarding investment development in Kurdistan, we believe that, similar to agriculture, where the region is a leading hub in the country, we must bring about fundamental transformations in the industrial sector by changing the mindset of managers and the technical staff of the relevant organizations in Kurdistan."
He emphasized the benefits of the President's provincial trips to Kurdistan and his special attention to projects like the construction of the Saqqez Gold Extraction Plant, stating: "The record of the 13th government in Kurdistan is very positive, and with full support for this project, we will work to provide all the necessary conditions for the Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company to achieve its goals and begin operations next year." Zarei-Kousha further noted, "Special attention to downstream industries is also an area that investors should focus on, as it helps expand employment opportunities in the region and generates added value."
The Governor of Kurdistan expressed appreciation for the actions taken by the Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company in the area of social responsibility and called for the implementation of infrastructure and large-scale projects at both the district and provincial levels.
In conclusion, the CEO of Kurdistan Gold Mining Development Company, Megdad Majedi, addressed the ongoing challenges and obstacles the project is facing at the district and provincial levels. He thanked Mr. Jafar Tavan, the Special Governor of Saqqez County, for his continued cooperation and support since the beginning of the project. Majedi also expressed gratitude for the support announced by the Governor of Kurdistan and expressed hope that, with the backing of senior provincial officials, the national project in Kurdistan would be completed in the shortest possible time, with the best quality and cost optimization, allowing for its successful implementation.
