Iraq to allocate 1,000 dunams per province for industrial projects

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Prime Minister Ali Zeydi has ordered the allocation of 1,000 dunams of land in each Iraqi province for industrial projects, his office said on Sunday following the third meeting of the Industrial Coordination Council. According to a prime ministerial statement, local administrations will prepare and assign the land for projects identified by the General Directorate of Industrial Development. The ministers of finance, oil, industry and minerals, and electricity attended the meeting. The council also decided to ban the export of raw materials, including copper, aluminum and lead and iron alloys. Zeydi described national industry as a foundational pillar of the economy and called for tighter border controls and full implementation of the ASYCUDA tracking system. The statement added that pre-payment deductions of taxes and customs duties have taken effect, without elaborating on the rollout or scope of the measure.