The private sector achieves success in the cement industry locally... and trade unionists complain:

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]The private sector achieves success in the cement industry locally... and trade unionists complain: Investors dominate the market![/size]

[size=45]Blessed be Abdul Majeed[/size]
[size=45]The private sector cement industry in Iraq has achieved remarkable success and has been able to achieve self-sufficiency, with aspirations to begin export operations soon. However, this achievement came at the expense of the public sector and the Iraqi citizen, and according to the vision of specialists, the investment made by the government returned to the benefit of the influential people and not others.[/size]
[size=45]The number of factories that have stopped working in Iraq, according to the Ministry of Industry, is 104 factories. The ministry’s spokeswoman, Duha al-Jubouri, told Al-Mada that “the Minister of Industry worked to form a committee to study their rehabilitation,” and the reasons for the cessation of some of these factories were due to “early and late “The technology in them, and the end of their lifespan of others, makes the process of rehabilitating them useless.” She pointed out, “The Minister of Industry also directed that the factories that are not feasible to rehabilitate should enter into partnership with the private sector, whether it is a local, Arab, or foreign private sector, on the condition of financial suitability, sufficient experience, and specialization, and be offered for investment through conferences held by the ministry.” .[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the production of cement, Al-Jubouri confirmed that “the Ministry provides the best types of cement in the region, and this is confirmed by the certificate of the Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control.” She explained, “Most cement factories have moved from using black oil to using gas as fuel, in order to preserve the environment.” Directives are being made to convert the rest of the factories to the same system, with the aim of supporting efforts to preserve the environment and enhance the quality of production.”[/size]
[size=45]In conclusion, she stressed that “the Ministry of Industry has excellent products for the benefit of the private sector and state ministries.”[/size]
[size=45]Iraq occupies a leading position in the cement industry in the Middle East, as it was one of the first countries to enter this sector in the 1930s, and Baghdad witnessed the construction of the first cement factory in the 1940s. Cement exports reached several countries in the Arabian Gulf and Turkey, which reflects the prominent role played by the Iraqi cement industry at the local and international levels.[/size]
[size=45]The head of the Cement Manufacturers Association, Eng. Nasser Al-Madani, says, “The establishment of the association in 2015 came as a result of an urgent need to unify the efforts of all cement factories under one roof, given their difficult experiences and unequal competition with foreign counterparts.” After communicating with the relevant authorities, a certificate of incorporation was obtained.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Madani explains to (Al-Mada) that “the association succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Council of Ministers to prevent the import of cement, provided that three conditions are met,” and the conditions were as follows: ensuring the adequacy of production to meet the needs of the local market, providing high-quality production, and setting an appropriate price commensurate with income. The Iraqi citizen and to ensure that the situation is not exploited to use local cement instead of importing. Al-Madani confirmed the success of the agreement. Regarding the role of the private sector in the cement industry, Al-Madani explains that “the private sector played an important role in meeting the local need,” and pointed out that “Iraq did not previously have any cement factory belonging to the private sector, but the need for cement has increased in recent years as a result of the expansion Cities and the increased demand for cement to build millions of homes and apartments have prompted the government to consider granting investment opportunities to the private sector, with the production of 20 million tons of cement during the next three years. He added, “Cement production in 2023 will exceed 35 million tons.” While it did not exceed 5 tons before 2003.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Madani continues by saying, “Due to the increase in production and the availability of raw materials, coordination was made between the Ministry of Industry and Minerals and the Cement Manufacturers Association to develop a plan to address the increased need.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Madani expects that “Iraq will begin exporting cement in the future, provided that the government’s support for the industry increases further, especially with regard to fuel and electrical energy, and facilitating and ensuring the protection of investors such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries that produce cement, with the aim of reducing the cost of production and empowering companies inside Iraq.” To compete fairly.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Madani talks about the presence of some problems that accompany the private and public sectors, noting that support before 2003 was directed towards the public sector, especially in the areas of protection and provision of fuel and electrical energy, where selling prices were determined by the Council of Ministers, and salaries were completely covered by the government. Ministry of Finance, and often the cost of salaries is not added to the total costs, making the institutions profitable. After 2003, state policy shifted towards supporting the private sector, in line with developed countries east and west, but it indicates the absence of an “integrated and solid plan.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Madani believes that “the public sector now depends on the private sector for financing, rehabilitating old factories and increasing their production, given that most of the public sector factories were operated in the seventies and early eighties and the state does not have financial capabilities.” He stresses that “there is no hope for economic reform except by supporting the private sector and facilitating the task of investment through laws that serve and guarantee the rights of investors.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Nasser Abdul Jabbar, head of the General Union of Construction and Timber, says, “Investors in cement factories in the private sector monopolize the local market today, which has caused an increase in prices and made them more expensive for consumers.” He added, “There are government cement factories in Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Sulaymaniyah.”[/size]
[size=45]Abdul-Jabbar complains to (Al-Mada) about the government’s neglect of the public sector in the country, pointing out that there are serious violations that have affected the working class in these factories, and he described the condition of the public sector as “deadly.”[/size]
[size=45]He points out that the private sector is controlled by “those with money,” and there was a lot of talk about finding a solution to this problem and supporting the public sector by the government in terms of providing raw materials at reasonable prices, but those meetings did not achieve results, according to Abdul Jabbar.[/size]
[size=45]He says that “there is no benefit from local production as long as capital and investors control the market,” and expresses “great dissatisfaction with not seeing any support from the government other than what is heard in the media, which puts the public sector in a state of deterioration.”[/size]
[size=45]In conclusion, the head of the General Union of Construction and Wood called for improving the labor situation and providing adequate support to the sector, stressing the continuation of efforts to find solutions to enhance local production and improve the situation of workers. In a related context, economic affairs researcher Abdul Salam Hassan Hussein expresses his concern about the repercussions of the government’s support for investment. In industrial cities and factories, where he expects this to cause harm to the poor and destitute Iraqi citizen, he attributes the reason for his concern to “investors exploiting government support, as happened in construction and building projects that received government support, where they exploited this support to achieve material profits at the expense of citizens.” “And real estate prices have reached unreasonable levels.”[/size]
[size=45]He stresses to (Al Mada) the importance of “the government having a realistic vision that focuses on supporting the citizen,” and also calls for the need to summon specialists in the matter to discuss the reasons for the failure of previous projects and develop solutions and treatments, including discussing the exaggerated prices that were calculated due to investments. He adds, adding: “The government does not listen to our voices, but rather cares about the personal interests of influential parties.”[/size]
[size=45]Hussein asserts that “investment projects will achieve profits for influential people without achieving any benefit for the Iraqi citizen,” and urges “the necessity of supporting the local product and improving its quality to increase citizen confidence in Iraqi production.”[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]