Iraq Labour Ministry announces plan to expand small and medium-sized projects

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has announced plans to broaden the scope of small and medium-sized projects aimed at absorbing unemployed workers, a ministry official said. Esma Majid al-Haffaj, speaking to the Official Gazette, said the ministry continues to implement and develop its entrepreneurship programs. Al-Haffaj said trainers at business development centers in Baghdad and other cities provide technical guidance and advisory support to the projects. She added that, in coordination with the Riyadh Initiative executive team, the ministry has prepared a working paper outlining proposals to expand investment opportunities within small and medium-sized enterprises. The official said entrepreneurship projects are viewed as a core element in addressing unemployment, and that the ministry aims to expand vocational training programs aimed at young people. No further details on the scale or timeline of the expansion were immediately available.