Holding officials accountable, focusing on succession planning, forming a team of professional consultants and providing solutions based on expert studies are among the priorities of the new representatives of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.
Mohammad Reza Safa, the head of Bandar Abbas Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, prefaced his write-up for the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad with this note. A translation of the text follows:
The private sector has gained a better place in Iran’s economy than in the past, but its stance is still far from optimal. In addition to maintaining a sense of accountability and vocalizing the challenges and problems, practical and expert solutions should also be provided by economic players to the government. Concerns about Iran’s economy are being voiced louder by the day and need to be addressed. As economic players have the hands-on experience of these challenges, they are capable of providing practical solutions.
By tapping into the potential of institutions like the Research Center of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, specialized commissions, provincial chambers, economic factions and joint chambers, ICCIMA’s members will be able to provide the government with detailed, well-crafted recommendations.
Educating the youth is another key point. Human capital is the asset of any country; time and money should be spent on the youth to improve their standing. Economic players, business owners and entrepreneurs are also rich sources of experience and knowledge. They can impart them to others within the framework of ICCIMA.
Now that the new representatives of the chambers of commerce are going to take charge and focus on improving economic conditions, they should leverage the private sector
The value and importance of succession planning and the transfer of knowledge to the next generation should not be ignored. The youth are tomorrow’s decision-makers who must find the right direction. Now that the new representatives of the chambers of commerce are going to take charge and focus on improving economic conditions, they should leverage the private sector.
From this perspective, negotiating with the government to enforce law abidance by state officials and using the capacity of private sector before making decisions should be prioritized.
Articles 2 and 3 of the Law on Constant Improvement of the Business Environment says that executive bodies are obliged to consult with related organizations to make economic decisions. Unfortunately, despite this legal clarity, most policies and decisions are still taken behind closed doors without the presence of the private sector.
We also demand the presence of a delegation of economic players in state visits to other countries. This is a common course of action followed by all developed countries, suggesting that their governments value their economic players.
Showing the capabilities of the private sector and reducing the role of government in the economy are in line with the policies of Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution; we must take steps toward this goal, despite the fact that the government won’t give up its economic clout.
If we are to have a strong economy in the country, we should leave behind the state-controlled economy and delegate economic activities to the people. Drafting the country’s industrial development document is another goal that must be pursued by the representatives of chambers of commerce.
We will not become an industrial country as long as we fail to have a roadmap for industrial development. Concerns and challenges that have besieged Iran’s economy are countless, no question about that, but it is important to identify the root causes of those challenges and plan to solve them.
Identifying issues that are at the root of the country’s current problems, and then finding logical and practical solutions for each of them should be prioritized.
