eva‎luation and presentation of the optimal regional governance framework in Iran's free zones (case study: Chabahar Free trade Zone)

7/16/2023 12:00:00 AM

Today, free trade is considered as a key component, especially for developing countries. Free zones act as gateways to international markets. This Zones have special characteristics and conditions that enable exchanges and economic communication in the world. But it should be noted that not all free zones in the world have been successful. Many of these zones deviated from their goal and did not follow the path of development properly and even moved against it. In the country of Iran, although the free zones have achieved some successes but they have not been successful in reaching their predetermined goals. One of the reasons for the lack of success of free zones is the lack of attention to the issue of management and governance in them. World experiences show that pioneer free zones in the world have a precise planning and have a good governance system to achieve the desired development. Governance in the general sense is the process of administration and management of a specific geographical space by different groups and institutions and actually requires a movement from the bottom to the top. Free zones also need a clear governance system. In the country of Iran, although the free zones have legal powers in appearance, they are actually managed by the government, and the concept of partnership with different sectors has not been realized in these zones. Chabahar Free Zone is one of the seven free zones of the country, which, despite being located in a strategic position and having many advantages and potentials, has deviated from its main goal due to lack of attention to management indicators. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to eva‎luate the governance system in Chabahar free zone and present the ideal governance model in this zone. To achieve this goal, firstly, theoretical studies related to the issue of regional governance and global experiences of successful free zones have been reviewed and the conceptual model and theoretical framework of the research have been drawn in a general sense. Then, this global model was screened according to the specific conditions of Iran and Chabahar Free Zone, and at the end, a special model for the governance of Chabahar Free Zone was obtained, which consists of 6 components and 17 indicators. Further, the eva‎luation of the governance system in the free zone was carried out using the AWOT method, and strategies were proposed to improve the situation, and then these proposed strategies were prioritized through the Analytical Network Process (ANP). In the following, the theoretical model extracted from the second chapter of the research has been examined using the confirmatory factor analysis model, and the results show the usefulness of this model for introducing governance indicators in Chabahar. Therefore, the most important component affecting the governance of the Chabahar zone is the component of institutional competence, and the most important strategy is "revision and modification of internal structures, approaches and processes". In the last stage of the research, policies and Action plans in accordance with the strategies have been presented to improve the governance situation in Chabahar Free Zone.

حكمروايي منطقه¬اي , مناطق آزاد , منطقه آزاد چابهار , برنامه¬ريزي نهادي

Regional planning , Free trade zones , Chabahar free trade zone , Institutional planning

Sheida Shadkam

Ahmad Khalili