Speaking to NIPNA, CEO Mohammadreza Heidarzadeh said the immediate
impact of the move has been less visible in operating costs and more evident in
planning and decision-making.
“At this stage, the effect is reflected more in the quality of
decision-making and the planning environment than in cost figures,” Heidarzadeh
said. “The most important shift for us is toward greater predictability of cost
structures.”
He said clearer, more stable pricing frameworks would enable companies
to make operational and investment decisions with a medium-term perspective
based on more transparent scenarios. Quantitative effects would become clearer
as mechanisms are formalized, he added.
Focus on stability and transparency
Heidarzadeh said stability and predictability in key cost variables
are prerequisites for sustainable development. If NPC’s pricing authority
evolves toward formula-based frameworks with defined time horizons, it could
reduce risks that have historically hindered long-term planning, he said.
Capital markets are particularly sensitive to regulatory volatility,
he added, noting that transferring arbitration to a specialized body “sends a
message that decisions will be taken within a professional framework rather
than on an ad hoc basis.”
Heidarzadeh described NPC’s stated “non-directive” approach as an
effort to move away from purely prescriptive policies and toward incorporating
technical and economic input from stakeholders.
Private sector engagement key
While acknowledging that structural changes often raise concerns among
private companies, Heidarzadeh said the establishment of dialogue channels and
consultation mechanisms was a positive sign.
“If engagement becomes institutionalized and continuous, it can
gradually ease concerns and align state and corporate interests,” he said.
He added that the success of the model would depend not on the
delegation itself but on execution grounded in transparency, stability,
expertise and stakeholder participation — potentially offering a template for
other policy areas.