The specialized conference titled “The Role of an Effective Business Environment in Economic Growth and Inflation Control: Approaches and Policy Recommendations” was recently held. The conference was attended by several notable figures, including Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Bijandi, a former member of the academic board and deputy of education and entrepreneurship of the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research, who served as the scientific director. Other attendees included Dr. Ali Davari, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Tehran, and Dr. Amir Sayyah, the head of the National Center for Business Environment Studies, Monitoring, and Improvement of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, who both served as scientific speakers. The conference aimed to discuss approaches and policy recommendations for creating an effective business environment to promote economic growth and control inflation.

Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Bijandi, a former member of the academic board and deputy of education and entrepreneurship of the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research, started his speech by mentioning the country’s business environment. He stated that while there have been positive developments in the business environment, there is still much work to be done to reach the desired level. Dr. Bijandi emphasized the importance of the business ecosystem as a key dimension of a country’s economy, stating that a developing business environment is indicative of a developing economy. He also noted that different individuals may have different perspectives on the business environment, with some viewing it as an independent area and others seeing it as an intermediary variable. Dr. Bijandi concluded by highlighting the significant impact that even short remarks from politicians and policymakers can have on the business situation.

Dr. Bijandi discussed the role of information technology as a driver in the business environment. He noted that this is a result of decisions made by policymakers and highlighted the importance of considering the growth of the business environment and the expansion of people's living standards, as outlined in the Fifth Development Plan. However, he expressed concern that businesses may not be receiving adequate attention in the Seventh Development Plan, which is currently under review. He emphasized the need for special attention to be paid to this important issue before the final approval of the Seventh Plan.

The former deputy of education and entrepreneurship of the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research, spoke about the importance of paying special attention to the variables of the business environment. He emphasized that each sector in the country must define its relationship with the expansion and improvement of the business environment. Dr. Bijandi concluded his speech by stressing the need for a better business environment, drawing on both international and domestic experiences and avoiding constant changes in business environment policymaking.

Dr. Ali Davari, an associate prfessor of entrepreneurship at the University of Tehran, also spoke at the conference. He discussed the complexity of the concept and models of business, stating that in analyzing the business environment, various issues, forms, and risks must be considered.

Dr. Ali Davari, an associate professor of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship at the University of Tehran, pointed out his perspectives at the conference about the business environment. He referred to his authorship of over 40 scientific articles on the subject and expressed his belief that improving the business environment alone can contribute to the improvement and advancement of the economy, regardless of specific policymaking. Dr. Davari emphasized the complexity of the concept and models of business and stated that in order to analyze the business environment correctly, it is important to consider which companies have been formed in recent years and with what approaches. He also raised the question of whether the formation of these companies has served production or led to the proliferation of intermediaries.

Dr. Ali Davari continued his speech by addressing the global experiences in improving the business environment. He referred to China's success in lifting 500 million people out of absolute poverty using this model and also mentioned the experiences of Eastern Europe in privatization as a key to current activities. Dr. Davari emphasized the importance of improving the business environment with special attention to small, medium, and micro-enterprises, stating that this can shape the country's economy in a desirable way. He warned that neglecting these units can undermine the economy. He noted that large companies are usually able to solve their problems with policymakers and emphasized the need for awareness that decisions made in administrative systems can lead to the informalization of a large part of the economy. Dr. Davari stated that while small businesses may start their activities informally, the economic environment must work in a way that encourages these businesses to formalize. He referred to reports from the Iran Chamber of Commerce regarding the business environment and highlighted the predictability of the economy as the most important pillar in improving it. Dr. Davari gave examples such as stability in exchange rate fluctuations and predictability of exchange rates in the business sector, which can lead to investment security and business prosperity. He warned that an abrupt increase in exchange rates poses a serious risk to the business environment and that unpredictability of expected inflation can lead to instability in businesses.

In the conclusion of his speech, Dr. Ali Davari listed purchasing power, employment status, production status, exports, imports of raw materials, economic recession, sanctions, economic growth rate, inflation rate, exchange rate, financial supply, banking system, access to technology, and migration of human resources as among the most important concerns for business activists. He emphasized the complexity and multifaceted nature of the phenomenon and stressed the importance of senior managers' commitment to responsibilities and the continuation of positive trends created by previous governments. He stated that through this commitment, attention can be paid to the business environment as a continuous process and ecosystem.

Dr. Amir Sayyah, the head of the National Center for Business Environment Studies, Monitoring, and Improvement of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance spoke at the conference about the center's two main missions. He stated that the center aims to make it easier for businesses to be born and to accelerate their growth by creating an environment in which businesses can be born more easily and grow as quickly as possible. This is achieved through simplifying licensing and deregulation. However, Dr. Sayyah noted that despite the implementation of over 97% of legal obligations on paper, some investment applicants still face problems obtaining licenses due to some organizations ignoring the law and behaving towards license applicants as before. He gave examples such as requiring the applicant to be present in person, demanding additional conditions and documents, rejecting requests without reason, and delaying the issuance of licenses. Dr. Sayyah mentioned that since the beginning of 2022, the business license is only an electronic file with a unique ID and each individual needs a unique QR code to start their business. He stated that so far, 672,593 licenses have been issued, of which nearly 295,710 requests are related to home business licenses. However, only 191,176 licenses have been issued for these requests. At the end of the conference, both speakers and audience members had the opportunity to express their opinions.