Infrastructure in Iraq

Infrastructure in Iraq

 Infrastructure in Iraq

A.Dr. Said Ali al-Obeidi 

Infrastructure means all technical structures that support the movement of the economy and social life, such as roads, bridges, dams, airports, ports, railways, water supply and sewerage, schools, universities, hospitals, gardens and parks, information technology system and waste treatment of all kinds. Stadiums, public security institutions and others.

The importance of infrastructure comes through the following:

1-contribute to accelerating the growth of the economy and achieving economic development.

2-contribute to achieving economic efficiency by reducing the costs of transporting raw materials to factories and from there to the markets.

3-working to improve the competitive situation and competitive capabilities at the global market level.

4-many job opportunities are offered directly and indirectly through the multiplier of employment.

5-increase the overall productivity and economic and social profitability .

6-contribute to achieving economic stability

7-full promotion of local investment and an attraction factor for foreign direct investment.

8. reduce environmental pollution.

Infrastructures have characteristics that distinguish them from other facilities, the most important of which are:

1-characterized by a very high fixed initial cost. While characterized by low variable cost when operating.

2-provide necessary services, which are considered a prerequisite for stimulating economic and social growth.

3-the services produced are usually slow-moving and not included in international trade, i.e. they cannot be exported or imported.

4-infrastructures are characterized by the long duration of their construction and are unusually durable.

5-the infrastructure services do not belong to individuals or a certain group or a certain sector, but belong to all individuals and sectors of society.

6-infrastructure projects are characterized as a natural monopoly, so the state must protect consumers and set their prices.

7-it requires huge investments and its revenues in the first years are minimal and characterized by a long repayment period.

8-it can be financed by the public sector and the private sector

   Iraq suffers from the deterioration of infrastructure due to the wars that began in 1980 and passed through an economic blockade, an American invasion, wars against terrorism and sectarianism . The economy has suffered from the latest economic crises, including the fall in oil prices, which coincided with the corona crisis. All this has made the physical storage of infrastructure negative in the sense of a decrease in investment in infrastructure with the increasing disappearance and poor services of existing infrastructure.

      The new infrastructure that is being built resembles inefficiency due to the rampant corruption in the state's joints, which has led to the establishment of these structures with specifications that are much lower than the international technical specifications, and this leads to a decrease in the quality of services provided and the high cost of their maintenance, as well as a short productive life. All this is a waste of public money and the loss of great development opportunities, for example, the construction of a stadium in Muthanna governorate with many defects that can only be remedied by demolishing it and building it again, as well as the process of paving internal and external roads . Since their life span is 15-20 years, and it is actually noticeable that these roads are out of service or their services deteriorate significantly less than this age. This leads to human and material losses in road accidents, 70% of which are caused by poor roads, for example, there were 8186 traffic accidents in 2020, resulting in 2152, and twice as many injured and disabled. In addition to the material losses represented by the destruction of cars and their decommissioning.

This is an example of the deterioration of the road service, which is one of the most important images of infrastructure. The situation may also be worse in other areas and types of infrastructure, such as the lack of schools and so far there are schools built with mud and the compression of one building by more than one school through double or triple shift .

 As well as poor electricity, drinking water and sanitation services, there is hardly a public field in the Iraqi economy except the oil sector, which accounts for 99% of public revenues, but employs only 1% of employment because it is a modern and capital-intensive sector. There is another sector that is active and active, which is the sector of corruption, bribery, violation of the law, uncontrolled weapons and increasing tribal, sectarian and partisan conflicts.

 

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