Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’a Al-Sudani has reaffirmed the ongoing efforts to establish legal and legislative frameworks aimed at expanding Iraq’s industrial base.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Industrial Coordination Council, where discussions centered around the current industrial landscape, key needs, and agenda items. The gathering included ministers, advisors, businessmen, and representatives from both local and international companies partnering with the private sector.

The Prime Minister highlighted the necessity of continuing to build the legal and legislative infrastructure that supports the expansion of Iraq’s industrial base. This initiative is geared towards enhancing the private industrial sector’s role in development, generating job opportunities, and providing goods to the Iraqi market.

During the meeting, the Council addressed various agenda topics, issuing decisions and directives as needed. Discussions featured the Chinese company Tsing Shan’s interest in the dry gas field at the Basra Industrial City project, the sulfur investment project at the Lazka/2 field, and proposals to extract iron dust, with directives coordinated with the Ministry of Oil.

Further topics included setting rental fees for industrial projects on agricultural land and forming a committee for this purpose, with a subsequent referral to the Ministerial Council for the Economy. The Council also considered amending Cabinet Resolution No. 24413 of 2024 to facilitate initial approvals for industrial project facilities and the supply of petroleum products.

The completion of digital transformation and the establishment of a single window at the Industrial Development Directorate were reviewed, alongside the referral of reducing liquefied natural gas prices for industrial projects to the Ministerial Council for the Economy. Government agencies were encouraged to create electronic links for industrial companies to streamline submissions.

The Council also deliberated on the Ministry of Education’s referral to print school textbooks, balancing public and private sector involvement as per Cabinet Resolution No. 24402. Additionally, it considered exempting industrial investment projects outside city designs from advertising requirements under Cabinet Resolution No. 245 of 2019.