Iran should give its free and special economic zones more authority and a stronger private-sector voice if it wants to attract investment and revive trade, the secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones said Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting of secretariat deputies and zone CEOs, Hossein Forouzan said enemies had expected Iran to surrender under pressure, but national resilience and planning had blocked that outcome. With the country now facing an “economic war,” he argued, free zones deserve greater trust.
“We ask the government to give free zones enough time and authority,” Forouzan said, promising that zone managers would work hard to meet targets. More authority, he added, would let the zones use existing capacity to help Iran navigate difficult economic conditions.
Forouzan also proposed expanding private-sector participation in decision-making. In any five-member body, he said, at least two members should come from the private sector. Rather than government officials chasing investors, he argued, authorities should rely on private actors who have the experience, networks and motivation to draw capital.
He described special economic zones as an important national opportunity but complained that land and banking restrictions were complicating their work. The Central Bank, he said, has sometimes imposed limits instead of helping zones use their capacities, with discussions even arising about cutting their resources.
Forouzan urged the government to grant the zones a defined trial period to demonstrate their economic potential. “Our expectation is that the government trusts free zones” and then evaluates their performance, he said. He assured officials that this trust would be used for national development and that zone managers would not disappoint the government or the blood of martyrs.
The meeting was attended by Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, executive deputy to the president.
