The designation of Persian Year 1404 (2024-2025) by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei as the year of “Investments for Production" represents more than economic policy—it reflects Iran's constitutional bedrock. This strategic focus on channeling capital into productive sectors finds its legal foundation in the Islamic Republic's Constitution, which enshrines principles of national progress, social justice, and economic sovereignty.
Article 3 of the Constitution mandates government action to achieve scientific, industrial, and agricultural self-sufficiency. Without systematic capital allocation and investor-friendly infrastructure, this constitutional requirement remains unfulfilled.
Article 43 - by linking full employment to resistance against foreign economic domination - establishes domestic production as a national security priority. Productive investment becomes the bridge between job creation and sovereignty.
Article 44 points to Iran's three-tiered economic model (state/cooperative/private) legally empowers non-state actors to lead production. This constitutional framework demands regulatory reforms to reduce state dominance while protecting investor rights.
Article 156 urges judicial safeguards for investors. The judiciary's constitutional duty to combat economic corruption and ensure property rights creates the legal certainty required for long-term production investments—without which capital remains hesitant.
Article 48 is about regional economic justice. Constitutional prohibitions against regional disparities transform production investment into an instrument of spatial justice, requiring targeted incentives for underdeveloped areas.
These constitutional provisions collectively establish investments for production not as discretionary policy but as state obligation. They provide a legal basis for deregulation and investor protections, a framework for spatially balanced development, and judicial mechanisms against rent-seeking behaviors
This year’s slogan thus represents a constitutional implementation challenge. Its success hinges on: Synchronized action across all government branches, Transformative reforms to actualize Articles 3, 43, 44, 156, and 48, and Building investor confidence through measurable judicial and bureaucratic improvements, Ultimately, this constitutional approach positions production growth as the engine for employment generation, reduced import dependency, and more equitable regional development. The constitutional vision is clear—its realization now depends on execution.
By: Dr. Hadi Tahan Nazif