Iraqi PM vows to prioritize private sector and fight corruption

Shafaq News / Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, said on Sunday that his government has given the private sector a crucial role in the country's general budget for the next three years.

He also lamented the remnants of the previous regime in the state institutions, which have entrenched a centralized mentality, despite the fact that the Iraqi constitution recognizes the country as a federal state.

Speaking at the opening of the Baghdad Dialogue Conference, al-Sudani said his government has set an ambitious and comprehensive program for Iraq to move forward with all its energy. "The most important thing is to move towards political tranquility, away from the waves of noise that have hindered us for a long time. We are determined to complete what has been delayed to restore Iraq to its natural place among the countries that establish civilization, create new job opportunities, fight poverty, expand the social welfare network, and revive the health insurance system."

Al-Sudani emphasized that his government would not tolerate any malfunction in the work, and is committed to fighting financial and administrative corruption in state institutions and departments.

The prime minister described the biggest challenge as "restoring the trust of the Iraqi citizen, which has declined due to words without action and breaking promises without fulfillment."

On the occasion of the anniversary of the fall of the previous regime, al-Sudani said, "It is appropriate to emphasize that the regime that was ended is still present in many facilities, and we still suffer from a faulty system and a rigid centralized mentality that requires a change. The results cannot be different without changing the prerequisites."