President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the urgent need to reform Iran’s privatization model by shifting the focus from merely transferring ownership to ensuring effective, accountable, and well-supervised management.
During the Monday meeting of the Supreme Council for the Implementation of General Policies of Article 44 of the Constitution, the president affirmed his administration's strong commitment to overhauling the privatization process based on principles of efficiency and practical effectiveness.
Drawing on past experiences and considering the current economic and social context, President Pezeshkian highlighted the necessity for a fundamental change in the privatization approach.
The Privatization Organization of Iran, affiliated with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, is responsible for establishing prices and distributing shares to the general public as well as on the Tehran Stock Exchange.
According to the president, given that the current conditions in the country are not conducive to transferring ownership of companies, and past experiences in this area have shown a lack of significant success, it is essential to revise approaches. The main focus should shift from ownership transfer to management transfer. In this framework, management of the company will first be entrusted to the private sector, and after proving managerial efficiency and achieving profitability, the ownership transfer process will begin in a gradual, legal, and transparent manner.
Pezeshkian also called for the development of a scientifically sound framework, urging the formation of a specialized task force comprising economic experts, experienced managers, and scholars. This group would be tasked with defining the necessary frameworks, tools, and implementation goals. He stressed the importance of leveraging the expertise of Parliament and the Privatization Organization to create a comprehensive and effective model.
Additionally, Pezeshkian underscored the significance of an integrated, network-based approach to privatization to ensure sustainable success and systemic consistency.