50% of border crossing imports outside the Iraqi government pocket

Shafaq News / A Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ahmad Mazhar al-Jubouri, confirmed today, Friday, that the imports of the border crossings are below the required level, indicating that the government has not imposed its full control over them.

 Al-Jubouri told Shafaq News agency that the Iraqi government imposed its control over the border crossings by 50%, and there are still some parties that have control over the ports, pointing out that the imports did not refresh the country’s treasury.

 Al-Jubouri added that the closure of the outlets due to the Covid-19 crisis caused a decrease or lack of financial imports during the past four months

Regarding the conditions of the border crossings in Diyala, where the Iraqi government launched a campaign recently to impose control, he said that the government control 40-50% of them.

The Corona crisis and the deterioration of global oil prices prompted Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to announce a plan to control border crossings by federal Special Forces and liberate them from the control of groups and parties that have dominated them for years.

According to financial statistics, 70-80% of the border crossing imports are under the control of the parties and groups.

It’s noteworthy that Iraq has 9 land-border crossings with neighboring countries (with the exception of the outlets in the Kurdistan region), which are:

·        Zurbatiya, Shalamja, AL-Muntheriya and Al-Sheib with Iran,

·        Safwan with Kuwait

·        Trebil with Jordan

·        Al-Waleed with Syria

·        Arar and Jadidat Arar with Saudi Arabia.