According to the Public Relations and International Affairs Department of the Kish Free Zone Organization, during this ceremony, which was attended by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Governor of Hormozgan, the Friday prayer leaders of Kish, local and national officials, private sector activists, and residents of Kish, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones praised the efforts and effective actions of Rahim Sarhangi, the former CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization. He referred to Mohammad Kabiri, the new CEO of this organization, as a talented and forward-thinking young individual, and stated, “No effort will be spared in ensuring the success and development of Kish, enabling greater benefit for Iranians from the island’s facilities and increasing the welfare of its residents.”

Masroor further explained that free zones worldwide are recognized and defined by their advantages, which make them attractive for investment. He added, “In other countries, the establishment and definition of these advantages aim to turn free zones into hubs for domestic and foreign investments. If these legal advantages are eliminated, we cannot expect significant developmental changes in these areas.”

Referring to the reduction of legal advantages for free zones in recent years in laws such as value-added tax, he called for the legal restoration of these advantages to the country’s free and commercial zones. He said, “Considering the supportive view of the President towards free zones and the special attention of Dr. Hemmati, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, we hope these legal advantages will be restored, leading to new opportunities in free zones.”

The Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free and Special Economic Zones also referred to regulations and laws regarding car imports and similar issues, expressing hope that these problems will be resolved in the coming weeks and that the advantages of the country’s free and commercial zones will be restored. This would facilitate the process of attracting and securing investments in these zones.

Masroor stated that despite the existence of 85 free and special economic zones in the country, demonstrating national determination for their development, the elimination of tax exemptions or issues related to value-added tax has led to the flight of capital from free zones. He added, “My comments about capital flight from free zones may sound general, but I can specifically name regions where this has happened and where we have witnessed this capital flight.”

Addressing the new CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, he stated, “You are entirely free to define investment incentives for the Kish Free Zone. As emphasized in the budget clauses for Kish and other free zones, creating investment incentives is a critical demand from the managers of the country’s free zones.”

Masroor expressed hope that by pursuing investment attraction policies, positive developments would occur in Kish Island. He emphasized not only creating investment incentives but also satisfying existing investors in the Kish Free Zone as another crucial factor for attracting new domestic and foreign investments. He stated, “Many investors and economic activists are already operating in Kish. If they are not satisfied with the administrative and management processes or their investments, it will create challenges in attracting new investments.”

The Secretary of the Supreme Council called on the new CEO to allocate part of his time and energy to resolving the problems faced by investors in Kish. Masroor stressed, “The first  ision-making, it will lead to capital being idle, which, in turn, increases the country’s need for liquidity.”

He identified unfinished projects over two decades old as one of Kish’s problems and urged the new CEO to prioritize completing these projects as a critical task.

Regarding other issues of the Kish Free Zone, Masroor highlighted that the management decision to privatize Kish Air caused damage to the island. He added, “Some of Kish’s current problems stem from improper privatization. The people of Kish and its economic activists have requested that this issue be resolved.” He also called on the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance to prioritize returning Kish Air to Kish, as emphasized earlier.

Masroor stressed increasing Kish Air flights to the island to attract more tourists. He added, “Tourism in Kish is not limited to leisure tourism. Business, exhibition, health, and sports tourism are among the island’s other key advantages. We hope Dr. Kabiri will design and implement suitable plans for developing these areas.”

Referring to the seventh generation of global free and special economic zones, Masroor described these zones as being based on the digital economy. Addressing the new CEO, he emphasized, “Kish is a suitable place for the digital economy. Today, the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) in some countries is due to activities in the digital economy. Instead of converting raw materials into goods, data is transformed into goods and services, creating significant added value. We must also design and implement special plans for the digital economy in free zones, especially Kish.”

The Secretary of the Supreme Council pointed to the composition of the board of directors of the Kish Free Zone Organization, stating that the members were carefully and thoroughly selected. He added, “With the approval of Dr. Hemmati, two financial institution representatives are included in the board. These members are tasked with updating assets, digitizing them, and working towards creating a digital financial hub in Kish.”

Masroor emphasized that the board of directors should not be a place for disagreements, stating, “Any disputes should be resolved internally and not brought outside.” He concluded, “The important thing is to avoid capital waste in Kish. Some parts of Kish are now commercially saturated. Significant commercial investments have been made, and no new investments should be directed towards building commercial units.”

He further stressed the need to halt commercial investments, noting that advantages are not fixed. He said, “In past years, Kish’s primary advantage was passenger-related goods. Today, our major advantage is the digital economy. Therefore, we must guide investments toward new advantages and emerging fields, particularly the digital economy.”

At the end of the ceremony, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance presented the appointment decree for the new CEO of the Kish Free Zone to Mohammad Kabiri, and the efforts of Rahim Sarhangi were commended.principle of management is decision-making. If we through the lens of achieving universal justice, a vision emphasized by the President. Addressing the shortcomings in health, education, energy, and fuel faced by Kish residents will be our focus. It is also essential to prioritize the material and spiritual well-being of our organization’s employees to ensure their dedication to service.”

In conclusion, Kabiri expressed openness to suggestions, stating, “We will not make decisions without consulting all stakeholders, investors, and entrepreneurs. Kish is a safe, beautiful, and memorable home for all Iranians. Let’s join hands and work together, based on a spirit of unity, to elevate this national treasure.”hesitate in dec