Iraq Labor Ministry Announces New Loan Terms for Income-Generating Projects

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has announced new conditions and application criteria for facilitated loans intended to support income-generating projects. Ammar Abdul Hussein Jassim, director of the Income-Generating Projects Support department at the ministry, said credit limits have been set at 20, 30, and 50 million Iraqi dinars. General applications have been temporarily suspended via the Mehen platform pending approval of the 2026 budget and allocation of funds, according to the ministry. Exceptions remain in place for individuals recovering from addiction, returning expatriates and entrepreneurs developing industrial service projects, whose applications will continue to be processed. Eligible candidates must be between 18 and 62 years old and cannot be employed by any public institution. Projects cannot be established on agricultural land or in unauthorized settlement areas, and applicants must submit an official rental contract. Loans are disbursed in two installments, with the first paid as establishment support and the second transferred after a field inspection conducted four months later. Existing shop development projects are excluded from this payment structure.