Hamidreza Ajami, NPC’s investment director, said the petrochemical
industry accounts for about 7% to 8% of Iran’s gross domestic product, nearly
30% of non-oil exports and more than half of the country’s annual foreign
exchange needs, making sustained investment in the sector a national
obligation.
Speaking at the first Iran Petrochemical Industry Investors Summit in
Tehran, Ajami said the current year, designated by the government as the “Year
of Investment for Production,” underscored the need for closer engagement with
investors and industry associations.
“This summit was held in direct response to the demands of investors
and specialised associations, with the aim of providing practical solutions to
the sector’s challenges,” he said.
Ajami said petrochemical investors continue to face multiple
challenges both domestically and internationally, but their continued
engagement demonstrated the sector’s enduring attractiveness and strategic
advantages.
He noted that while investment processes in petrochemicals are more
structured than in many other industries, the complexity of projects made
direct dialogue between investors and policymakers essential.
“The purpose of this gathering is to allow stakeholders to raise
issues face to face and to ensure that solutions are pursued in a transparent
and operational manner through specialised working groups,” he said.
Ajami said representatives from Iran’s executive, legislative and
judicial branches had been invited to the summit, reflecting the need for
coordinated decision-making across state institutions to address investment
bottlenecks.
He stressed that the government’s role was to provide policy direction
and infrastructure, while the private sector carried out economic activity,
describing the two as complementary rather than separate.
“Wherever the private sector enters, it signals economic viability and
acceptable returns,” Ajami said. “Our responsibility is to support investors by
removing obstacles and ensuring stability and confidence.”
Ajami said petrochemical revenues could reach the equivalent of around
60% of Iran’s oil export income if current trends continued, highlighting the
sector’s growing importance in the national budget outlook.
He rejected suggestions that NPC’s role in the industry had diminished,
saying the sector had been built and expanded within the company’s governance
framework and that NPC remained the central authority for development and
oversight.
Ajami said NPC’s investment management arm focuses on two core areas:
issuing and renewing investment licences, and facilitating access to financing
through the National Development Fund, the banking system, the central bank and
financial instruments available through Iran’s exchange platforms.
“These efforts will be pursued seriously through specialised working
groups to further smooth the investment path in the petrochemical industry,” he
said.