The economic system in Iraq faces increasing challenges that require firm legislative measures to reform the current situation and achieve a qualitative shift in the national economy. In this context, a new law is being prepared within the Council of Representatives, which is expected to be voted on in the coming period.
The law, which was referred to the parliamentary economic committee months ago, covers all economic aspects of the country, and several workshops have been organized in cooperation with businessmen, industrial experts and economists to ensure a comprehensive discussion of its provisions and to identify the points that should be focused on in the final amendment of the law.
The committee’s deputy chairman, Yasser Al-Husseini, said: “The law reached the House of Representatives in general and the Economic Committee in particular months ago, and it includes all laws that include the economic aspect.”
He added, “The committee held many workshops at all levels, whether for businessmen or industrial and economic experts,” stressing that “the committee is proceeding with reading this law and working to vote on it during the next phase in cooperation with other specialized committees.”
The figures indicate that the economic sector in Iraq suffers from many challenges, most notably technological obsolescence and dilapidated infrastructure, which makes it urgent to have legislation that encourages various investments and clearly defines the partnership between the public and private sectors.
An important step
In turn, the expert in economic affairs, Abdul Salam Hassan, said, “This law is an important step on the path to economic reform, but it will not achieve the desired results without including specific provisions that focus on developing the productive sectors, most notably the industrial and agricultural sectors, and reducing dependence on oil revenues as a primary source of national income.”
Hassan added in a statement to “Iraq Observer” that “it is also necessary for the law to include measures that ensure stability in the market and facilitate the investment environment by simplifying the legal and bureaucratic procedures facing investors, in addition to providing real guarantees to protect the rights of investors, whether they are local or foreign.”
Experts also stress the need for the new laws to take into account the establishment of strict control mechanisms to combat financial and administrative corruption, and to ensure a fair distribution of resources between the various sectors and regions of Iraq.
These laws must also include stimulating the private sector to be a strong partner in the development process, by providing tax facilities and granting easy investments, in order to create an encouraging economic environment.
