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At a panel titled “The Right and Wrong Paths of Price Decisions” during the “Barriers to Business in Iran’s Economy” event hosted by Saman Academy, the CEOs of Azki, Tapsi, and AbanTether sharply criticized government-imposed price controls, warning of distortions, inefficiencies, and misguided regulation.
Hamed Valipour, CEO of insurance platform Azki, argued that prices reflect part of the value a supplier creates, serving as a market signal for whether that value matches demand. “When faced with price controls, no one is incentivized to create additional value,” he said. According to Valipour, mandated pricing ultimately breeds rent-seeking and circumvention of regulations, while fueling further government interference. He warned that similar imbalances to those seen in Iran’s energy sector could soon emerge in the insurance industry.
Sahand Hamzehei, CEO of AbanTether, highlighted restrictive demands from the Central Bank of Iran, including attempts to set a fixed exchange rate for Tether and restrictions on trading hours. “We don’t even sell Tether ourselves, and users will never agree to sell below market price,” he said, stressing that the Central Bank is acting as a self-appointed regulator without any legal framework. Hamzehei emphasized that state interference in people’s financial lives should be minimal: “Businesses must fight to survive because the future is bright - these restrictions will eventually end.”
Mostafa Seyedhosseini, CEO of ride-hailing platform Tapsi, pointed to the government-mandated removal of the “In a Hurry” option from ride-hailing apps as an example of misguided intervention. He explained that the decision backfired, increasing fares and reducing drivers’ hourly income. “Our priority is to find a fair balance between passenger and driver pricing. We’re not seeking higher commissions - we want to improve matching efficiency,” Seyedhosseini said, adding that the state should limit itself to a supervisory role rather than direct interference.
