The Ministry of Planning is one of the formations of the Iraqi Council of Ministers and aims to achieve economic and social development and optimal usage of human and material resources and potentials and to develop the march of administrative development to raise the efficiency of the performance of the government apparatus. The Ministry is working hard to achieve its objectives by developing economic and social policies for various sectors, and regulate the oil and non-oil imports of the country to achieve national development.
The Ministry of Planning is seeking to expand its participation in the development process in the light of the next development plan, the economic openness of Iraq and the reconstruction operations.
The Ministry of Planning revealed that the rise of total imports for the year 2016 of commodities and petroleum products by 18% compared to 2015 after the total of these imports amounted about $ 50 billion; while in 2015 were about $ 42 billion, and a compound growth rate of 15% from the year 2014.
The official spokesman of the Ministry of Planning Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawi said that the Central Statistical Organization of the Ministry issued its annual report on the volume of imports and according to border crossings, indicating that the total non-oil goods imports amounted to nearly $ 50 billion, up 20% from 2015, amounting to $ 39 billion, Adding that the total imports of oil products for the year 2016 amounted to ($ 2 billion), a decline of 12% over the year 2015 as the rate of compound growth was declined by nearly 34% from 2014.
Al-Hindawi said that the volume of non-oil goods imports via sea ports reached about 43 billion dollars, registering a rise from 2015 by 23% to reach $35 billion.
He pointed out that imports through sea ports are the highest value compared to land ports, which the volume of imports through it amounted about 4 billion dollars, whereas the volume of imports via air ports did not record only 100 billion Iraqi dinars .
The following table shows the volume of imports
In support of the Ministry’s development plans, in the reconstruction of the liberated areas and the development of capacities for Iraqi cadres, the Minister of Planning Dr. Salman Al-Jumaili discussed with the representative of the Turkish Agency for Development in Iraq (TICA) Junaid Asmar the Agency’s participation in the reconstruction, at the time the Iraqi-Turkish relations are witnessing tangible development in joint Cooperation in recent years after the policy of openness, development and progress of the Iraqi government with the aim of strengthening the network of economic relations with all countries according to the balance of mutual interests.
The representative of the Turkish Agency was ready to provide all kinds of support to Iraq within the competencies and tasks of the Agency, including the implementation of service projects within the reconstruction campaign, stressing the possibility of working to develop the capabilities of Iraqi cadres in all areas.
Al-Jumaili stressed that Iraq is on the verge of a new stage of building, reconstruction, opening up to investment, seeking to attract large investors to the country and giving the private sector opportunities to compete with foreign companies and investors.
Al-Jumaili said that Iraq’s economic and investment relations have witnessed a significant development during the recent period, including relations with Saudi Arabia, pointing out that a high-level coordination council has been formed between the two countries, calling on the private sector to present its appropriate vision in the investment operations in Iraq.
Economic unity
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies