TEHRAN - Hojatollah Abdolmaleki, the secretary of Iran's Free Zones High Council, has said major plans are underway to improve the business environment of the country’s free zones, IRIB reported on Friday.

Currently, Iran is ranked 127th in terms of business environment in the world, Abdolmaleki said in a meeting with Khorasan Razavi province’s entrepreneurs and investors, adding that due to the start of business environment improvement programs very soon the country’s free zones, including Kish Island, will reach the top 50 countries in the world in terms of evaluation indicators approved by the World Bank.

According to the official, expert teams have been deployed in Kish Island and other free zones across the country to assess ways of improving the business environment.

“We have identified the issues related to the business environment, and now there is an opportunity to improve the facilitation of business conditions and we are determined in this regard,” he said.

Pointing to the importance of managerial stability in carrying out future plans, Abdolmaleki added: “The management of free zones will be stable and long-term so that long-term plans can be implemented in these regions.”

He said there are currently 33 special zones and 15 free zones active across the country, noting that despite all the problems these zones have very good advantages for investment.

According to the official, Iran’s Free Zones High Council has defined 700 investment packages in order to facilitate investment in the country’s free zones.

The establishment of free trade zones in Iran dates back to the Iranian calendar year 1368 (March 1989 - March 1990) following the fall in the country’s oil income in the preceding year which prompted the government to promote non-oil exports.

The first two free trade zones of Iran were established in the south of the country. The first one was Kish Free Trade Zone established in 1368 on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf and the second one was Qeshm Free Trade Zone established the year after on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Some five other free trade zones have been also established in the country since then, including Chabahar in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Arvand in southwestern Khuzestan Province, Anzali in northern Gilan Province, Aras in East-Azarbaijan Province and Maku in West-Azarbaijan Province, both in the northwest of the country.

Considering the significant role of free trade and special economic zones in the country’s economy, the development of the existing zones and the establishment of new zones has become one of the major economic approaches of the Iranian government.

EF/MA