Finding All the Answers

Finding All the Answers

Tehran International Oil & Gas Exhibition, Iran Power Summit in London and Iran Investment Seminar in Austria are next on Atieh Bahar’s timetable.

Bijan Khajehpour

We must help potential investors develop a better understanding of the characteristics of the Iranian market. If they understand our market better, they will be more willing to come and trade here.

A look at the long list of what a foreign investor needs to be more comfortable in a country may leave you a bit surprised. If only a few companies in Iran are capable of taking care of such a list, then Atieh Bahar Consulting Group is one of them. Through a professional effort to provide answers to various questions raised by potential investors and foreign companies, Atieh Bahar has so far been able to develop an impressive clientele and organize a string of accomplished trade missions.
The following interview with Bijan Khajehpour, managing director, and Babak Namazi, legal division director of Atieh Bahar demonstrates the wide range of issues that have to be addressed by a consultancy.
“Atieh Bahar refuses to be involved in commercial activities. We are a consultancy service and intend to remain one,” stresses Khajehpour. Having lived and studied abroad, Khajehpour with a diploma in management and Namazi as an international lawyer, can appreciate the standards that foreign companies would expect when it comes to strategic business consulting. Here is the A-Z of consulting, in Q & A:
Please start by briefing us on the background of Atieh Bahar and its fields of activity.

Khajehpour: Atieh Bahar was established seven years ago as a small consultancy. Basically, the aim was to provide services to companies who were looking to trade with Iran. We later expanded from doing market research to macro-consulting. This was in response to the demands of foreign companies who had questions on domestic economy and social developments among other topics.
Today, Atieh Bahar addresses a range of macro and micro issues to offer a comprehensive consulting package. The group’s departments include: Public Relations, Legal Division, Business Consulting, Publications, Marketing Consulting and Business Services & Delegations. This last division is the latest addition to the group to organize trade missions and provide professional support to visiting trade delegations.
Atieh Bahar is currently in a position to respond to all the questions that a foreign company may face for operating in Iran. We may not have all the answers but we have the instruments and the knowledge for generating the necessary information and analysis.

Babak Namazi

Potential investors know little about the economic structure of Iran. Atieh Bahar is going to continue promoting proper foreign investment consistent with national interest.

Namazi: Potential investors know little about the economic structure of Iran. They usually need a professional consultant to provide them with unbiased information as well as the right links. We try to maximize efficiency of their stay by taking away all the hassles. Atieh Bahar acts as a bridge between foreign entities and their targeted community in Iran.

How do you define the ambitions of a consulting group that intends to remain a consulting group?

Khajehpour: I think if you extend this vision of Atieh Bahar on acting as a link between Iran and the outside world, opportunities are numerous. We don’t merely look at Iran as a market open to a one-way flow of capital and goods. Next, we aim to turn the equation around to the benefit of Iranian exporters. For this purpose, Atieh Bahar is going to develop the capability of assisting Iranian companies in exporting products, finding foreign partners and launching joint ventures. The ultimate goal is to become a one-stop solution for all consulting needs.

Namazi: There is much ambition in our group. To expand the services and facilities that we can offer, we may establish regional offices. Atieh Bahar is going to continue its supply of accurate information on transparent investment laws and promote proper foreign investment for national interest.

What elements does a foreign investor look for before taking his capital to a country?

Namazi: Talking on the legal side, they most of all need to find security and guarantees to ensure the safety and growth of their imported capital. They don’t mind a competitive market as long as the competition is fair. Easy capital registration, transparency of laws, international arbitration on foreign investment and copyright laws are other important factors here. I would like to stress on “transparent investment laws” that enable the foreign investor to make knowledgeable decisions regarding business in Iran.

Khajehpour: It is natural for foreign investors to be curious about new investment laws, taxation codes, latest economic, social and cultural developments. What they have to draw as a conclusion out of these developments largely influences the decisions that they make.

In what way is Iran different from other countries as far as attraction of foreign investment is concerned?

Khajehpour: After spending eight years in an imposed war, Iran still treats information as something confidential. It was necessary to be secretive in the wartime. But today, there is no excuse to be secretive about very simple facts such as product specifications, production capacity, etc. Currently it is important to provide foreign companies and potential investors with the kind of information that they need before they can transfer technology and create jobs here. This professional supply of accurate information is yet to receive a deserving appreciation. Let us bear in mind that we are not the only country in the world trying to attract foreign investment. We have to be very realistic about what our market has to offer to foreign investors. As a leading Third World country either in terms of natural resources or democratization, Iran can serve as a role model for many regional countries if it makes greater efforts to reintegrate into the world economy.