Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq on Sunday opened a new payment program for construction materials, allowing government employees and pensioners to purchase building supplies through installments spread over 15 months, as authorities move to stimulate housing construction and support household spending.

Known as the “Construction Basket,” the scheme was unveiled by Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar Jumaa during the signing of a cooperation agreement between the State Company for Construction Materials Trading (SCCMT) and electronic payment firm Qi Card.

“The initiative is intended to improve access to construction materials and accelerate building and reconstruction activity across the country,” he explained, urging Iraqi banks to join salary domiciliation programs to broaden participation and expand eligibility.

Applications will be processed through a dedicated electronic platform, where users will select required construction materials directly via a mobile application scheduled for launch in the coming days. Pricing for the materials will be set by SCCMT, which will also handle supply operations and determine product costs.

Iraq has faced a chronic housing shortage for decades, with the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Municipalities estimating a need for about five million additional housing units to meet rising demand. Since 2003, successive governments have introduced a series of housing initiatives and large-scale residential projects aimed at narrowing the gap, though most have fallen short of their targets, leaving the crisis largely unresolved.

Earlier this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi called on business leaders and companies involved in provincial projects to contribute to the government’s “one-million residential land plot” initiative and support infrastructure development.

Read more: What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program