PM Barzani: Despite hardships, Kurdistan continues to develop its service sectors

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Through economic and political hardships in the past three years, the Kurdistan Region has made major developments in several service sectors over the past decade, said Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.

 

Speaking at a ceremony to commence the opening of the 5-star Arjaan Hotel in Erbil on Sunday, Barzani said in 10 years the number of governmental hospitals increased from 14 to 65; private hospitals 8 to 55; and schools 3,200 to 6,000.

 

To put an end to residency issues in the region, some 200,000 residential units were constructed, including 50,000 units given to destitute families, Barzani added.

 

Illiteracy levels have also largely decreased across provinces in the Kurdistan Region, as literacy has steadily increased from 53 to 84 percent, the PM cited.

 

In a bid to solve the poor condition of roads in the region in which traffic accidents have become a leading cause of death, Barzani said some “16,400 kilometers of roads have been constructed in these ten years.”

 

The Kurdish Premier is optimistic that the tourism and agriculture industries could be further developed.

 

“The Kurdistan Region is stepping for more reconstruction,” Barzani said.

 

Barzani added that KRG is doing its utmost to help increase investment in the region, as its geography is suitable.

 

“According to the plan which the government has for investment, it aims to increase investment, particularly in the three sectors of agriculture, tourism, and industry,” he said.

Barzani encouraged investors and businessmen to allocate their assets into these three sectors, “and move forward with their projects for them as they have suitable groundwork for operation.”

He went on to add that developments in these three major sectors are part of the government’s reforms “so as to go step-by-step and to provide for the necessities of the Kurdistan Region outside of oil and gas sectors.”

 

ISIS has been pushed back from the Kurdistan Region, and the group is no longer capable of posing security threats, so foreign investors have returned, he noted.

 

PM Barzani explained the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is on the path of riding out a very tough financial crunch which emerged as a result of Baghdad cutting its share of the budget during the leadership of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

 

Commenting on the recent Baghdad-Erbil relations, the KRG will start “serious” talks with Baghdad, Barzani pointed out.

 

The hotel cost $40 million to construct.