Key Takeaways:
- Iran’s cabinet approved the executive regulation to provide social insurance for platform-based drivers and freight carriers.
- Minister Seyed Sattar Hashemi called for stronger coordination between the executive, legislature and judiciary to support the digital economy.
- Specialist working groups will refine proposed laws, resolve legal inconsistencies and avoid redundant regulation.
- The parliamentary research centre’s proposal and a report from the Digital Economy working group will guide next steps.
Tehran — Iran has taken a significant step to formalise protections for workers in its growing platform economy after ministers approved the executive regulation providing social insurance for drivers and carriers operating through digital platforms. The decision, taken at a high-level session of government and industry representatives, aims to integrate gig-economy workers into the country’s social security framework while strengthening legal clarity for digital services.
social insurance for digital drivers to be formalised
The regulation implements paragraph “ch” of Article 28 of the Seventh Development Plan Law and specifically targets providers of passenger and freight transport who operate via virtual platforms. According to the ministry, the measure will ensure these workers gain access to social insurance benefits and protections previously unavailable to many in the platform economy.
Seyed Sattar Hashemi, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, described the session as an important opportunity to foster effective interaction among the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. He said close coordination is essential to address the regulatory and judicial issues that have emerged alongside rapid digitalisation of services.
Hashemi announced an upcoming meeting that will include the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, underlining the government’s intention to secure a broad consensus on legal and policy approaches. He urged active participation from private-sector stakeholders to monitor developments, offer technical proposals and cooperate with government bodies to advance the interests of the digital economy.
Participants agreed on the need for thorough, technical review of proposed measures. The government will channel draft bills and proposals into specialist working groups to enable detailed scrutiny and to produce clear, actionable legislation in future parliamentary sessions. Officials emphasised the importance of precise definitions, removal of legal inconsistencies and avoidance of duplicate or contradictory rules.
The parliamentary Research Centre presented its own proposal to remove barriers to the development of the digital economy. Representatives from both public and private sectors shared views on the proposal’s various elements and highlighted the need for a harmonised approach that balances innovation with worker protections and legal certainty.
As part of the meeting’s outcomes, participants tasked the Digital Economy working group with examining disputed definitions and legal overlaps in depth. This work is expected to produce consolidated recommendations that will form the basis for future legislative drafting and regulatory action.
Baqeri Asl, secretary of the Digital Economy working group, closed the session with a report on the group’s activities, follow-up actions and planned programmes. He outlined steps already taken and signalled that the working group will continue to coordinate closely with ministries, parliament and industry to ensure the regulation’s effective implementation.
By formalising social insurance for platform drivers and carriers, Iran aims to strengthen protections for gig-economy workers, improve legal certainty for platform firms and support the broader development of its digital economy. The next phase will focus on translating the working group’s findings into legislative proposals and administrative measures that can be implemented in the coming months.
