Nearly 200 Diyala industrial plots turned commercial
Shafaq News- Diyala
A total of 198 industrial plots in Baqubah, eastern Iraq, have been converted into apartment buildings and rental shops instead of factories, depriving the local economy of industrial investment and job opportunities, a Diyala Provincial Council member said on Monday.
Aus al-Mahdawi said the factories existed in name only, with the plots used for commercial and residential purposes rather than the industrial activities for which they were allocated.
He accused beneficiaries of exploiting investment and industrial development laws to obtain plots of up to 7,000 square meters, along with government incentives and support, while paying nominal annual rents to the state.
“The land was intended for factories and workshops producing furniture, concrete blocks, paint and ice cream,” he added, calling for files on land allocated for investment and industrial development to be referred to Iraq’s Commission of Integrity and for legal action to be taken against violations in Diyala and other Iraqi provinces.
Read more: Corruption claims hit Iraq's Diyala land allocation program
