Information and Communication Technologies in Iran

In Iran, the Ministry of Information and communication technologies is responsible for the national development of ICT in the whole country and Information Technology Council Excellence (ITCE) is responsible for national-level strategic decision-making and IT policies. The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for the development of E-commerce in Iran. Also, The High Council of Data Processing has been vested with the task of classifying and categorizing computer firms.

Relationship between Information and communication technologies  and E-commerce

Now, a vast number of Iranian people are using the Internet and the number is growing daily. Seminars, conferences and workshops have been held by the Iranian governmental and non-governmental organisations to promote awareness of the effects of e-commerce. In view of that it could be claimed that Iran is providing the infrastructure to enable e-commerce to expand.

Parliament of Iran passed the Electronic Commerce Act. With the passage of the Act, Iran made significant progress towards its e-commerce legislation. Now, this Act is called the Electronic Commerce Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Act was passed to remove concerns about uncertainties over e-commerce and to clarify some of the ambiguities in the Iranian legal system. However, the government has a plan to revise the Act in the next two years.

The Government has long-term plans and programs of development for IT sector as shown in the following section.

National IT Strategy and Development Plan

In the 5th 5-Year National Develop Plan (2009-2014), IT has a major role. The main goals of this plan have included increasing Internet users, telephone subscribers and mobile subscribers. The value of Information and communication technologies in this plan is $25 billion dollars, $19 billion dollars for Telecommunication development and $6 billion dollars for IT platform and its infrastructure. In Iran, national IT strategy comprised the following strategies:

• National ICT development and IT policy strategy document;

• National IT strategy for e-Services such as e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Learning and e-

• Health;

• Telecom revolution (de-regulation) plan;

• Telecom Liberalization plan;

• Migration from traditional telecom to Next Generation Network (NGN);

• Migration from monopoly to competition in telecom industry;

• Promotion of foreign investment.

The qualitative goals of government have included developing e-enabled national services such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, and e-government.

The Iranian Council of Ministers in 2002 approved the Electronic Commerce Policy of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the following purposes:

• To ensure the use of the Internet for electronic commerce activities in the Country in a safe and secure network environment.

• To remove any discriminatory barriers in the use of the electronic Commerce in the country

• To protect the enhancement and promotion of the respective NGO activities in the Country on a competitive basis.

• To enhance awareness and training and to create the cultural environment for the use of the electronic business.

• To provide and maintain the main infrastructures and the necessary legal and operational backgrounds and prerequisites for the implementation of electronic business in the country.