LAW CONCERNING THE ATTRACTION
AND PROTECTION OF FOREIGN
INVESTMENTS IN IRAN
Article 1.
Persons, companies, and private firms of foreign nationality, investing
in Iran in accordance with the provisions of Article II of this Law and
by permission of the Iranian Government, either in cash or in the form
of factories, machinery and parts, equipment, patent rights, expert service
and the like, for development, rehabilitation, and productive activities
in industry, mining agriculture, and transport, shall enjoy the facilities
provided in this Law.
Article 2.
For the purpose of investigation and making a decision regarding the
merits of the proposals submitted concerning the import of foreign capitals,
a Board shall be formed in Bank Melli Iran under the chairmanship of the
Governor of the said Bank, consisting of the Under Secretaries of Finance,
Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Industries and Mines, the General Manager
of the Plan Organization or one of his assistants, the President of the
Chamber of Commerce of Tehran or one of the vice- presidents, and the head
of the Exchange Committee. Decisions of the Board shall be submitted, through
the Minister of Commerce, to the Council of Ministers for approval and
issuance of a Decree. Proposals for investment of foreign capital in provinces
shall be given priority over those for investments in Tehran as regards
investigation and issue of a Decree.
Article 3.
Capital imported into Iran in accordance with Article 1 of this Law,
as well as profits accrued therefrom, shall be subject to the legal protection
of the Government; and all the rights, exemptions, and facilities accorded
to the domestic capital and firms. The Government guarantees fair compensation
where the promulgation of a special legislation deprives the owner of capital
from ownership; provided that within three months after the date of expropriation
application for compensation is submitted to the Board mentioned in Art.
2.
In case of disputes, investigation of claims for fair compensation guaranteed
by the Government shall be undertaken by competent Iranian courts. In such
cases the Government can grant permission for the transfer abroad of the
capital irrespective of the conditions set forth in Article 5 of this Law.
Note 1: The law concerning ownership of real-estate
by foreign nationals of Khordad 16, 1310 shall remain valid and in force.
Note 2: Persons, companies, and private firms
mentioned in Article I above are not entitled to transfer their shares,
profits, and rights to their own or other governments.
Article 4.
The owner of capital is permitted to export every year the net profit
derived from the investment of his capital in Iran in the same currency
as that originally imported and up to limit to be determined in the regulations
implementing this Law.
Article 5.
Transfer abroad of the original capital and accrued profits, or the
balance of such capital and profits remaining in Iran, shall be permitted,
subject to 3 months prior notice to the Board mentioned in Article 2, upon
fulfillment of all obligations and with due regard to provisions of Agreement
of the International Monetary Fund of July 1944. However, the owner of
capital is required to retain in Iran, for 6 months, at least 10 per cent
of his original capital to meet his contingent obligations.
Article 6.
The Provisions of this Law shall apply to firms and nationals of such
countries where economic activities and reciprocal facilities for Iranian
firms and nationals are made possible.
Article 7.
The Government is charged to prepare the appropriate regulations implementing
this Law and to submit the same within 2 months through the Ministry of
Economy to pertinent committees of Houses of Parliament for approval.
REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE LAW
ON THE ATTRACTION AND PROTECTION
OF FOREIGN CAPITAL
Article1.
Any natural or legal person, and any foreign firm, transferring capital
to Iran for development, productive, industrial, mining, transport or agricultural
purposes and subsequent activities, or for granting credit and financial
assistance to Iranian firms engaged in the said enterprises shall enjoy
the privileges of the Law for the Attraction and Protection of Foreign
Capital Investments in Iran provided:
(a) Application to invest is submitted for-a field open to local private
firms;
(b) The investment does not involve any monopoly rights or special
privileges;
(c) The capital is privately owned without any foreign government participation.
Note 1: If in the course of operation a foreign government comes to
share in the imported capital in any manner, the said capital should, within
a period prescribed by the Board, be repatriated from Iran.
Note 2: Development and productive activities denote activities which
help raise the production level and income of the country, or, directly
or indirectly earn foreign
exchange, or effect an economy in its expenditure.
Note 3: Foreign banks or their branches established in Iran in accordance
with relevant rules and regulations shall be entitled to enjoy the protection
of the Law for the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Capital, in so
far as the said protection is in compliance with the Banking Act and its
supplementary regulations.
Article 2.
From the standpoint of these Regulations the term "Foreign Capital"
denotes:
(a) Foreign exchange imported into Iran through authorized Banks.
(b) Machinery, machine tools, spare parts, and raw materials as well
as other requirements of this type provided they could be currently used
and the Supervisory Board recognizes their suitability as such. Tools and
spare part shall be related to the factory machinery which is imported
as capital; their importation may be simultaneous with that of the main
machinery or subsequent thereto and provided that if imported later, they
form part of goods specifically imported as capital, and not as current
expenditure;
(c) Means of transportation-land, sea, or air-used in the execution
of the project for which capital has been imported;
(d) Patent rights, provided they are related to and part of the production
operation for which the application for the import of foreign capital has
been made, and that it is assessed at the discretion of the Supervisory
Board;
(e) Technical staff salaries in foreign currency paid before the commencement
of actual exploitation f or the purpose of setting up productive enterprises;
(f) All or part of the net profit accrued in Iran and added to the
original capital, or invested in some other enterprise covered by the provisions
of the Law concerning the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments.
Article 3.
Persons and firms, referred to in Article 1, intending to import their
capital into Iran, should submit their proposals to the Secretariat of
the Supervisory Board, together with a statement in Persian, or French,
covering the following points:
a. The identity of the person or firm;
b. The country of origin of capital;
c. Type of capital, specifying the cash and non-cash amounts;
d. Legal domicile and the center of activities of the person of firm;
e. Type of activities and the program of operation in Iran: and, if
Possible, indicating whether operations will be carried out independently
or in partnership;
f. The sphere of activity in Iran;
g. References.
Article 4.
The Board performs its duties in accordance with the Law and the implementing
Regulations; and, should the said Board be in agreement in principle with
the importation of the capital applied for, it will present its view, through
the Minister of Finance to the Council of Ministers for approval and the
issue of a Decree.
Article 5.
Upon issue of the Decree of the Council of Ministers, the application
should, within a
(1) Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance
period prescribed with the agreement of the Board, submitted to the
Board a detailed list of the non-cash capital which he intends to import
into Iran together with a certificate from international experts, acceptable
by the Board, as to the correctness of its evaluation. Having agreed with
the said evaluation, the Board will present the foreign investor or his
representative with the license for the import of capital permitting at
the same time commencement of operations.
Article 6.
The foreign investor is entitled to insure the capital which he imports
into Iran, should the insurer be a foreign government insurance institution,
and the said institute, as a result of an accident, replace the investor
in accordance with the provisions of the insurance policy, this replacement
does not constitute a transfer of capital.
Article 7.
Within one year from the date of notification, the holder of the license
is under obligation to take measure to import an appropriate capital for
the commencement of operations; otherwise, his license shall be null and
void. Whenever unexpected events or other predicaments, justifiable to
the Board, call for further delay, the Board must extend the license for
another six months.
Article 8.
The Cash capital which is imported into Iran in lump sum or in installments,
and converted into Rials, must be in foreign exchange acceptable to Bank
Melli (1) Iran; and it shall be registered in the investor's name on the
date of its receipt. The amount of non-cash capital plus the cost of packing,
transportation insurance, etc., paid outside of Iran, will, after verification,
be totally registered in the investor s name in a special book on the date
of arrival of the goods, supported by documents- or pertinent bills, in
a monetary unit agreed upon by Bank Melli (2) Iran and the investor.
Article 9.
Conversion of foreign currencies due to be converted into Rials is
effected at the current buying rate of Bank Melli (3) on the date of filing
the application for conversion; and, Bank Melli (4) Iran is authorized
to buy the said foreign currencies or to retain them as deposit, convert
and pay them in Rials at a rate acceptable to both parties, subject to
a separate agreement, and return them, at the time of repatriation, at
the same rate.
Article 10.
Foreign currencies left with the Bank unconverted and not taken as
security against rial payment will be placed at the disposal of their owners,
and, owners of the said currencies are entitled to use such currencies,
without conversion into Rials, for the payment of the cost of their orders
placed abroad or for which the capital has been allocated, or to repatriate
them by virtue of Article 5 of the Law concerning the Attraction and Protection
of Foreign Investments in Iran. An itemized list of expenses and payment
in detail will be presented, at the end of each month, to the Supervisory
Board by Bank Melli (5) Iran.
Article 11.
The non-cash capital which is imported into Iran by virtue of the present
Regulations is
excluded from the annual quota.
Article 12.
If capital is imported in form of goods which are, by findings of experts
and assessors, mutilated, defective, or, if they do not conform with the
specifications given in the application, or, are declared at a higher value
than their actuarial cost, that part of the value which is not confirmed
by the Supervisory Board shall not be considered as part of the capital.
Article 13.
Transfer abroad of foreign capital imported into Iran and utilized
by virtue of Article I of Law concerning the Attraction and Protection
of Foreign Investments, as well as the profits derived therefrom whether
in the form of foreign exchange or authorized commodity, shall be subject
to the following regulations:
(a) The foreign investor, upon examination of his balance-sheet and
verification of annual profit by the Supervisory Board, is entitled, by
permission of the said Board, to transfer abroad the profit accrued in
Iran, after deduction of taxes, dues and statutory reserves, in the same
currency in which he has imported the capital; The Supervisory Board may
not postpone, without plausible reasons, the grant of permission for more
than three months from the date of receiving of the balance- sheet. In
case foreign exchange availability's do no permit the Government to transfer
abroad all or part of the investor's profits, permission will be granted
to the investor, upon his request, to export authorized goods without giving
any foreign exchange undertaking;
(b) The foreign investor who intends to export his capital from Iran
by virtue of Article 5 of the Law for the Attraction and Protection of
Foreign Capital, is under obligation to prepare his balance-sheet at termination
of operation in Iran and submit it, together with the prior notice prescribed
in Article 5 of the Law, to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board,
upon appropriate investigations, will grant permission for the export of
foreign exchange requested within a period of time to be set forth in the
permit; The period of time set forth in the permit shall not exceed three
months, unless the amounts of capital which are exported are of such magnitude
that, in the Board's opinion, may cause foreign exchange difficulties.
In such a case, a longer period shall be prescribed; the amount of annual
transfer, however, must not be less than 30% of the capital;
(c) Rate of foreign exchange for transfer of profits or repatriation
of capital shall be the Bank selling rate on the day of the transfer;
(d) The income, gained from the rise in prices at the time of the sale
of the non- cash capital, shall not be convertible into foreign exchange;
but, the investor has the right to export the equal value in Iranian goods
without any foreign exchange undertaking;
(e) In case of sale or cessation in Iran of original foreign capital
or of equity shares, the owner has the right to transfer aboard the proceeds
of the sale or cession in accordance with the provisions of the Law concerning
the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments and the present Regulations
or, he can request to reinvest all or part of it in Iran if he is so inclined;
(f) The foreign investor, having due regard to Note 2 Article 3 of
the Law concerning the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments,
is entitled to cede to another
(2) 1-2-3-4-5- Bank Markazi Iran
foreign investor his capital or equity share subject to the approval
of the Supervisory Board; in such a case, the cede shall replace the original
investor from the standpoint of the provisions of the Law concerning the
Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments and present Regulations;
(g) If the foreign investor is not inclined to transfer the capital
and accrued net profit abroad within the period prescribed in the permit,
unless he is again granted permission by the Supervisory Board in accordance
with the provision of the present Regulations, the said capital and profit
shall remain at his disposal but shall not be subject to the law concerning
the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments and the present Regulations;
(h) Bank Melli (1) Iran and the Foreign Exchange Control Department
are, for purposes of the above provisions, under obligation to make available
to the foreign investor necessary foreign exchange for the repatriation,
within the period of validity of the permit, of capital, reserve or the
net profit;
(i) In case the foreign investor is inclined to export in form of commodity
all or part of the net profit, or the original capital and the sales or
cession proceeds of capital, or equity shares, with due regard to the above
provisions, the Ministries of Finance and Commerce (2) are under obligation
to issue export permit for the said commodities, without foreign exchange
undertaking to the customs and other concerned authorities. Moreover, if
so inclined, the investor has the right to invest and have registered as
capital all or that part of the annual profits which he has not transferred
abroad in the same or in another field, to be agreed upon by the Supervisory
Board.
Note: At the time of repatriation of capital,
if a loss is suffered by the investor, as a result of which part of his
capital is lost, the repatriation of only that part of capital which is
still existing according to the balance sheet shall be subject to the above
regulations.
Article 14.
The fair compensation, referred to in Article 3 of the Law concerning
the Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments, will be paid on the
basis of normal value prevailing immediately before expropriation.
Article 15.
Firms, the central offices of which are outside of Iran, shall pay
registration fees only in proportion to the capital transferred to Iran.
Article 16.
In cases where for specific work certain machinery is imported in to
Iran without transfer of foreign exchange, and is not registered as part
of capital, its owner has the right to export from Iran the same machinery
and tools upon the termination of the said work.
Article 17.
For the participation of the Undersecretary of National Economy in
the Supervisory Board, subject to the discretion of the Board's Chairman
(Governor of Bank Meli (1)Iran), when the subject of proposal is related
to industrial affairs, the Technical Undersecretary of Industries &
Mines, and when the subject is related to mining affairs the Undersecretary
of Mining, and when it is related to commercial and banking affairs the
Undersecretary of Commerce, shall participate.
Article 18.
Functions assigned to the Supervisory Board in the Law Concerning the
Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments are to be regarded as
part of the main functions of the members of the said Board. The personnel
budget of the Secretariat of the Supervisory Board and fees payable to
experts shall be made available by Bank Melli (1) Iran.
The above Regulations comprised of 18 Articles and 4 Notes, which,
subsequent to the approval of the relevant Committee of the Senate, has
been approved by the relevant Committee of the Senate, has been approved
by the Committee on Commerce of the Majles, at its sitting on Mehr 17,
1345, is enforceable by virtue of the Law Concerning the Attraction and
Protection of Foreign Investments.