How Is Members' Trust in the Iran Chamber of Commerce Built?

The credibility of the Iran Chamber of Commerce in defending private sector rights depends not only on its legal standing and engagement with the government, but also on how much its members trust its performance. Financial transparency, follow-up on demands, and announcing the outcomes of actions are among the most important factors that strengthen this trust.

Ambassador Arjan - The Chamber of Commerce needs a credible position with the government to influence economic policies, but the main support of this institution comes from the trust of the activists it represents. The basic question here is how this social capital is formed and on what basis do the members of the chamber judge the performance of their representatives?

Iran Chamber of Commerce's effective defense of the rights of the private sector depends above all on the credibility it has among its members. Mohammadreza Behraman, the vice-chairman of the Iran Chamber, correctly touched on this point in the August 1405 meeting of the delegation and emphasized that without the trust of the members, it will be impossible to participate in the major decisions of the country and stop hasty approvals. This view highlights an important fact. Continuous attendance at government meetings and publication of numerous reports will not help maintain the credibility of the chamber among members until the economic operators see a tangible output from it in their business.

The distance between legal status and real trust

The law has recognized the Iran Chamber for coordination among economic actors, providing consultation to the tripartite forces and cooperating with executive bodies. The law on continuous improvement of the business environment also obliges the government to seek the opinions of relevant chambers and organizations when developing or amending regulations. Therefore, the function of the chamber is not limited to issuing a business card or holding a conference, and its main mission is to transfer the experience of business owners to the decision-making layers of the economy. However, legal support alone does not guarantee trust.

Each group of members has a specific expectation of the name and location of the room. An exporter who is faced with Khalq al-Saa's directives wants to be heard before the decisions are announced. For a micro-producer, access to clear information and removal of banking barriers is a priority, and an economic organization seeks real participation in the formulation of proposals. The sum of these expectations creates the image of the chamber in the mind of the private sector, and if the practical experience of the members does not match the promise of representation, even the prominent media presence of the managers will not prevent the erosion of the credibility of this institution.

Four hundred expert answers with some concrete results?

Investigations show that the Iranian Chamber was not passive in producing expert content. According to the announcement of the deputy commissions of the Iran Chamber in April 1405, specialized commissions have responded to more than 400 requests and referrals from various institutions during the year 1404, and before that, the performance records of 20 commissions were published.

These statistics prove that the Chamber does not just wait for invitations to meetings, but the number of letters and reports does not give a clear picture of the effectiveness. For a more accurate evaluation, it should be determined that among these four hundred comments, how many proposals were included in the final approvals of the government and parliament, which ones were rejected, and whether the relevant members were informed of the fate of the follow-ups and the response of the responsible institutions or not? Transparency in this process, even when follow-ups do not lead to desired results, creates a better understanding of the chamber's performance and efforts for members.

The balance between interacting with the government and responding to the private sector

To understand the sensitivity of the relationship between the chamber and the members, we can look at the resolution of the Board of Representatives on 25 August 1405, during which the increase in membership fees, entrance fees and the cost of issuing the certificate of origin was approved. The secretary general of the chamber called the drop in the real value of income due to inflation as the main reason for this decision. Although it is not possible to judge the rationality of the new figures just by hearing the news of this decision, this decision raises a key question. How well do members know how to spend these resources and what services or more effective follow-ups do they receive in return for paying more? Providing a clear explanation of the reasons for tariff increases and publishing clear financial reports is an integral part of respecting members' rights.

The relationship between the Chamber and its stakeholders is two-way. On the one hand, this institution should be an informed and reliable consultative party for the government and parliament, and on the other hand, it should listen to the concerns of the members, explain its priorities, and be accountable for the results of follow-ups. Success in interacting with the government does not necessarily mean gaining the satisfaction of the members, and even if the close relationship with the officials does not have a clear achievement for the economic activists, it may question the independence of the chamber. Of course, proposing this hypothesis does not mean a definite decrease in trust, and its proof requires a direct survey of the members themselves.

The Iran Chamber can fill this gap with specific steps. Asking for opinions from organizations before making important decisions, publishing a summary of positive and negative views, and announcing the results of negotiations with government agencies to interested groups are among these solutions. Also, providing periodic and brief reports on financial resources, costs and the fate of expert proposals will help members to fairly measure the performance of their representatives and better understand the boundary between the authority of the chamber and external obstacles.

The Iran Chamber can defend the private sector with a stronger support against policy makers when the members see the mechanism of their voices being heard and are informed of the outcome of each follow-up. Credibility is important at official government meetings, but the true value of a Chamber of Commerce brand is measured in day-to-day interactions with members who are waiting to hear concerns and receive concrete answers.