asdasdasdasdasdasdasdasdasdasd
◢ Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven visited Scania's truck manufacturing facility in Qazvin, Iran on Sunday.
◢ The trip marked an important milestone for Scania, whose perseverance and leadership in Iran's market is being rewarded with new contracts and a clear route to growth.
◢ A preliminary agreement between OMV and Dana Energy heralds the push for privatization in Iran's oil and gas sector
◢ While the majority of contracts have been signed with state-owned oil firms, the new IPC framework enforces structures and management practices that support privatization
◢ Iran's inability to link with the European banking system stems in part from a lack of capacity in key governance and compliance functions.
◢ In the 1990s, European governments launched substantial "training and technical assistance" programs to help post-Communist states raise standards. Iran needs similar programs, and a model from Sweden may be the most effective.
◢ Youth unemployment continues to be a stubborn issue in Iran, with economic growth too low to generate sufficient job opportunities.
◢ Following the examples of countries like Germany and India, Iranian policymakers could do more to spur job creation through innovative entrepreneurship programs.
◢ A new survey presented the main terms of the Iran Deal to nearly 3,000 Americans and asked them to evaluate arguments for keeping or withdrawing from the deal.
◢ A majority of those surveyed thought any attempt to withdraw and renegotiate the Iran Deal was likely to fail, and most gave a "final recommendation" to support the deal in its current form.
◢ A German plane spotter has photographed a brand new Airbus A321 in Iran Air livery.
◢ The aircraft lends credence to reports that Iran Air and Airbus are on the cusp of finalizing their contract and that the first deliveries of aircraft will take place in early 2017.
◢ As Henkel's recent moves show, investments can be made most quickly and with the largest economic impact in Iran's private sector.
◢ By targeting 100 private sector companies, with a maximum average transaction value of USD 100 million, just USD 10 billion could fundamentally change Iran's economy.
◢ ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson will reportedly be named Trump's new Secretary of State, ending speculation about the critical role for US policy on Iran.
◢ Tillerson's public comments on sanctions and Iran give some indication that he will take a pragmatic view of the Iran Deal.
◢ Donald Trump recently underscored his intention to protect American jobs by making an extraordinary intervention at a Carrier factory in Indiana.
◢ A look at Carrier and Indiana's other top employers illustrates how across the United States, major businesses have traded with Iran. Trump should use Iran policy as leverage to either boost US exports, or incentivize multinationals to keep American jobs.
◢ Hypermarkets now account for 2% of the total value of the grocery market in Iran, and 15% of the market in Tehran.
◢ But as hypermarket growth begins to stall in Europe, retailers in Iran should take heed. Similar consumer trends are likely to manifest in Iran in the coming years. Big stores won't be enough to win sales.
◢ The Obama administration is weighing its final possible measures to strengthen the Iran Deal before President Trump has a chance to make his mark.
◢ Improving transparency in the Iranian economy would have the most immediate impact on the continued viability of sanctions relief. US policy must make it easier for global consulting and auditing firms to work in Iran.
◢ The IRGC reportedly controls up to 40% of Iran's economy. The scale of these holdings is in line with historical levels of state ownership seen in OECD countries.
◢ US policy should apply a more nuanced approach to state-owned enterprise in Iran, and induce the market forces that are already proving to support privatization.
◢ The Trump presidency poses considerable risks to the full implementation of the Iran Deal, but is unlikely to threaten the deal's survival as some have suggested.
◢ Trump's interference in the deal will be constrained by domestic politics, Russian strategic interests, and European lobbying.
◢ News regarding the Airbus deal, the gas industry, and the US election mark progress in Iran's frustratingly slow post-sanctions development.
◢ But the recent increase in the incremental steps taken for Iran's economic growth should be encouraging, as the math behind Zeno's Paradox demonstrate.
◢ The master plan for IKIA Airport City is one of the most ambitious in Iran and will require USD $50 billion in investment to achieve.
◢ Creating an airport city is not just about new transport links, but also about creating new models of collaboration between state and private actors.
◢ While Iranian companies have successfully engaged international legal counsel in arbitration, the use of outside counsel in commercial negotiations is limited.
◢ The track record of Iran's commercial deals with foreign firms demonstrates how proper legal counsel is necessary to help protect Iran's commercial interests.
◢ China's outward M&A has hit a record USD $207 billion this year, with major Western multinationals the primary target, including companies active in Iran.
◢ Though Iran has looked to the West post-sanctions, the new acquisitions may force Iranians to deal with the strategic implications of Chinese ownership across industries.
◢ A move to introduce personal liability for compliance officers is changing AML/CTF practices in banking and finance.
◢ New policies and new technologies are raising the bar for post-sanctions banking reforms and Iran may be left out the effort to establish new global best practices.
◢ Though initially reported as a Series A for ride-sharing app Snapp, MTN has made a EUR €20 million investment in the parent company Iran Internet Group
◢ But MTN's solo play breaks with a clear pattern of co-investment with Germany's Rocket Internet and it is unlikely Rocket would allow its dilution in this latest round
◢ New guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control has provided more clarity on U.S. dollar processing by non-U.S. financial institutions
◢ The updated FAQs also provide more detail about OFAC's expectations regarding due diligence efforts
