ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday ordered the cancellation of contracts of private companies working at the country's ports that are under fire for reportedly collecting additional fees that resulted in consumers paying more for goods. Allegations against private sector companies indicate that they "are collecting additional fees other than those approved by the Ministry of Transportation. The importers were charged additional fees, and consequently, the Iraqi citizen had to bear the cost as the prices of goods increased," reads a statement from the prime minister's office. Sudani directed the Commission of Integrity to investigate the claims and not to renew the contracts of the private companies. His decision was made at the request of a special committee formed in December to investigate corruption at the ports. The committee recommended that the transportation ministry takes measures such as capping the charges collected by private companies, directing more of the business towards the state-owned General Ports Company, or terminating contracts. Corruption is rife across Iraq’s ports and border crossings with money being funneled to political parties or armed groups. Most of the complaints of corruption are directed towards private companies working at Umm Qasr, Iraq's largest port. In 2021, AFP reported about corruption at Umm Qasr and said that pro-Iranian armed groups dominate the customs department of the port and supervise the security. Iraq ranks among the most corrupt nations, coming 157th out of 180 countries assessed by Transparency International.
