Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziad Ali Fadhel, oversaw the signing ceremony for the implementation contracts of the Smart Electricity Transition Project.

In his speech during the ceremony, Fadhel announced, “The project will provide round-the-clock electricity and serve over 130,000 subscribers in the provinces of Wasit, Kirkuk, Diyala, and Al-Anbar in its initial phase.”

“The new project prices will match the previous rates, with no increase, and will be 75% subsidized by the government for residential areas,” he added.

The minister also noted that the smart transition involves installing smart metering systems, converting overhead networks to underground, and providing advanced on-site maintenance services.

Fadhel continued, “The project will help eliminate instances of power network tampering and reduce electricity bill evasion by implementing an electronic billing system.”

This project comes as Iraq has been suffering from a chronic electricity shortage for decades, caused by sanctions and consecutive wars.

Recently, to address this, the country has been working on several projects with neighboring countries including linking its power grid with those of Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.