Praising the government's success in attracting investors and capital to the country, 28 DEC

  Praising the government's success in attracting investors and capital to the country

As the year 2024 draws to a close, witnessing an urban renaissance that the country has lacked for decades, academics and specialists praised the government’s success in attracting investors and capital to the country, stressing that the security stability enjoyed by the country and the development of the banking system that came in accordance with the government program, pushed the wheel of investment forward.

Safe reality

Professor of Economics at Al-Nahrain University, Sattar Al-Bayati, told Al-Sabah: “In light of the current safe reality and the stability that the country is witnessing, there is a development and urban movement that the country is witnessing according to the government program, and the achievements that occurred during this year with regard to Baghdad, especially in the matter of cleanliness, roads, bridges and projects in various sectors, as well as the bridges that were built or rehabilitated and appeared in a new guise

These are all positive messages sent by the government to investors, whether Iraqis or Arab and foreign investors, that there is a suitable environment for investment in general, especially direct investment in light of the existence of Investment Law No. 13 of 2006 and its amendments, which contain many articles that serve the investor.”

 He pointed out that “there are two types of investment, which are foreign direct investment and indirect foreign investment,” indicating that “indirect investment occurs in the Iraq Stock Exchange, or any stock market or stock exchange.”

 Infrastructure

He added, "The government is counting on direct investment, because it is a real investment that can be made directly in the basic structures or infrastructure that the country needs, such as residential complexes, bridges, hospitals, or universities. Direct investment can invest in all of these."

Great benefit

In turn, economic expert Alaa Al-Fahd told Al-Sabah: “The government has focused on investment aspects and development projects with high economic feasibility,” indicating that “these projects, if completed, will be the gateway and beginning for development projects and investments and attract foreign investment, while greatly benefiting from the state of security and political stability in Iraq.” Al-Fahd confirmed that “there is an investment revolution in Iraq currently.”

Financial capabilities

“Security and political stability can be a gateway for investments in various fields and sectors, such as the services sector, housing sector and infrastructure, and this is one of the government’s priorities,” he added, noting that “this requires consolidating the partnership between the public and private sectors, whether local or foreign, as this is the first stage to gain confidence and move from the socialist state and the government’s implementation of projects, to another new state with the participation of the private sector in projects in which the local private sector can invest according to the existing financial capabilities and infrastructure belonging to the state, and even in the field of managing service facilities and others.”

Big investments

He pointed out that Iraq today has begun to attract very large investments that have so far reached 62 billion dollars, but it needs more than 500 billion dollars in the areas of infrastructure, services and productive projects, in addition to the government’s orientation towards oil transformation industries,” indicating that “these industries in themselves will contribute firstly to achieving self-sufficiency, and secondly, Iraq can be a source of oil derivatives, as well as a source of transformation industries instead of the state having to bear the costs of importing them.” 

Government vision

“There is a government vision for a map of high-priority investment projects, and the government has begun to lay the basic foundations in terms of financial transfer, financial leverage, and financial inclusion, which is one of the largest pillars of investment,” he said, stressing that “investment seeks financial security and financial inclusion, with the presence of a banking system capable of managing the investment process, primarily by providing bank credit, as well as achieving financial security in terms of foreign transfers and relations between local banks.” And foreign.  link