TEHRAN, June 07 (Shana) -- Petrochemical exports accounts for one third of Iran's non-oil exports which can cross 35% in the near future, a petrochemical official says.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Secretary General of the Association of Petrochemical Industry Corporations (AIPC) Ahmad Mahdavi said petrochemical industry can serve as the country's drive force to economic development and is highly influential in raising GDP in the country.

"We have planned to bring the country's petrochemical output to 50 million tons a year," he said.

He said Iran will need $55b in investments only for fulfilling the plans envisaged by the national development plan for 2025 for the petrochemical sector.
This means an annual amount of $6b must be absorbed by the sector until that year.

By SHANA