Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (center) visiting the Defense University for Higher Military Studies in Baghdad on April 3, 2023. Photo: Sudani's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday praised the efforts taken by the sitting Iraqi cabinet in combating various issues that plague the country such as corruption and unemployment nearly six months after taking office.
“I set five priorities that guided the government’s path and work and focused on combating poverty, unemployment, improving public services, fighting corruption, and achieving economic reform,” Sudani said during a visit to a military college in Baghdad, specifically praising the progress in fighting unemployment.
The state is by far the biggest employer in Iraq, a country with an estimated population of 42 million people of which four out of 10 young people are unemployed.
Young Iraqis largely view public sector jobs as a safe haven against economic instability that tends to send the country’s private sector into a rollercoaster of boom and drought, as oil production, which accounts for 90 percent of national revenues, continues to place heavy demand on jobs in the public sector.
“The government inherited a set of problems it did not create. Therefore, resolving these problems was a stabilizing factor for the government’s work during the first six months of its term, and we have achieved progress in combating unemployment,” Sudani added.
Rampant corruption plagues all levels of the Iraqi state, a phenomenon that the country’s current government has pledged to eliminate. Official figures published last year estimated that well over 400 billion dollars has gone missing from state coffers since former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime was overthrown in 2003.
Iraq also ranks among the most corrupt nations, coming 157th out of 180 countries assessed by Transparency International.
“I set five priorities that guided the government’s path and work and focused on combating poverty, unemployment, improving public services, fighting corruption, and achieving economic reform,” Sudani said during a visit to a military college in Baghdad, specifically praising the progress in fighting unemployment.
The state is by far the biggest employer in Iraq, a country with an estimated population of 42 million people of which four out of 10 young people are unemployed.
Young Iraqis largely view public sector jobs as a safe haven against economic instability that tends to send the country’s private sector into a rollercoaster of boom and drought, as oil production, which accounts for 90 percent of national revenues, continues to place heavy demand on jobs in the public sector.
“The government inherited a set of problems it did not create. Therefore, resolving these problems was a stabilizing factor for the government’s work during the first six months of its term, and we have achieved progress in combating unemployment,” Sudani added.
Rampant corruption plagues all levels of the Iraqi state, a phenomenon that the country’s current government has pledged to eliminate. Official figures published last year estimated that well over 400 billion dollars has gone missing from state coffers since former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime was overthrown in 2003.
Iraq also ranks among the most corrupt nations, coming 157th out of 180 countries assessed by Transparency International.
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