Iraq's culture minister orders reshuffle of negligent department heads

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Sira Abdulvahid, carried out a field inspection of several ministry departments on Monday and ordered administrative changes for department heads found to have neglected their duties, according to an agency report. The minister also directed an end to overlapping managerial responsibilities within the ministry. A ministry statement said the inspection was intended to assess the progress of work, administrative performance and the challenges facing staff on the ground. Abdulvahid, who also serves as environment minister, said managerial responsibility requires the capacity to carry out duties effectively. He added that ministry units must be run in line with standards of competence, discipline and efficiency. The statement also underlined the goals of preventing overlaps in authority, clearly defining each manager's duties and powers, and strengthening accountability. No further details on the affected officials were immediately available.