Context and purpose. Border areas are considered as sensitive and strategic points of the country. The isolated and unproductive nature of the border areas, especially in the mountainous and desert areas of Iran, has continuously been the cause of political, economic and security problems for governments, due to the lack of prosperity and incentives for life. The potential inability to produce, lack of employment, low income and inability to satisfy the basic needs as the main socio-economic characteristics of these areas, provided the basis for smuggling goods. In this study, we strategically analyse the border markets of Sistan and Baluchestan Province by using a SWOT approach.
Methodology: According to the nature of the subject, this study is based on operational data in terms of methodologies used in the descriptive-analytical research. The statistical population includes all the managers, deputies, experts of border markets, and managers of relevant organizations (customs, governorate, provincial administration, transport terminal, bazaar activists) in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. To select the sample, Purposeful Judgmental (Expert) sampling method was used. A 59 items researcher-made questionnaire examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the border markets of the province was used. Questions are rated on a five-point Likert scale from “very little" (1) to “very high” (5). Reliability coefficients revealing Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 for the entire scale. To analyse the data, a SWOT matrix was prepared, which is one of the most important tools managers use to compare information and present four types of strategies.
Conclusion: the results of aggressive-competitive strategies (SO) shows: the focus is on internal strengths and external opportunities, which are: 1. the employment of young and cheap forces in the region (s1o8). 2. The expansion of non-oil exports according to the interest of the Pakistani people in Iranian goods (s2o1). And the results of revision strategies (WO): while emphasizing internal weaknesses, tries to take advantage of external opportunities to overcome the upcoming weaknesses of the system, which are: 1. satisfying the needs of the border cities of the province through imports from Pakistan and other Southeast Asian countries, considering the high cost of transportation and the long distance between producers and Rimdan border market (w4o5). 2. Increase in imports due to cost-effectiveness with considering the lack of production and distribution cooperatives in the province, the low cost of transportation, and the short distance between Pakistan, Gwadar and Iran, Rimdan border market (w5o9).
