(Photo: Al-Sudani's media office)
Monitor
PM Al-Sudani on National Industry Day: ‘An unregulated market opening flooded Iraq with imports’
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday launched a national QR code platform for Iraqi industrial products. The announcement came during a ceremony held by the Iraqi Federation of Industries to mark National Industry Day. Reflecting on industrial challenges, Al-Sudani stated, “After 2003, an unregulated market opening flooded Iraq with imports, turning industrialists into traders and contractors.”
He professed “trust” in the industrial sector, noting recent gains in food and pharmaceutical production.
Statement from Al-Sudani’s media office:
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani attended today, Thursday, the celebration organized by the Iraqi Federation of Industries on the occasion of National Industry Day.
At the start of the ceremony, Prime Minister Al-Sudani extended greetings on the occasion of Eid al-Adha and prayed for relief for the people of Gaza as they face Zionist aggression.
During the event, His Excellency launched a national Iraqi QR code platform designated for every Iraqi industrial product. This initiative aims to prevent counterfeit goods, protect the identity and authenticity of Iraqi brands, enhance readiness for export, and ensure compliance with global supply chain standards. It also facilitates access to international markets, increases confidence in Iraqi goods abroad, supports economic growth and digitization, and promotes digital transformation in the manufacturing and retail sectors.
The celebration also featured a presentation by the national network of the Iraqi Federation of Industries, which is dedicated to employing persons with disabilities. The Prime Minister also visited an exhibition of Iraqi industrial products held on the sidelines of the conference.
In his speech, Prime Minister Al-Sudani stated that National Industry Day marks the recognition of the industrial sector’s excellence and its ability to bring about qualitative change in Iraq’s economic trajectory. He emphasized the government’s confidence in the role of industry, industrialists, and the private sector, and highlighted the 2024–2028 National Development Plan launched to support the industrial sector and strengthen its integration with agriculture and the oil wealth to boost the economy.
Members of the Iraqi Federation of Industries and participating industrialists praised the government’s continued support for national industry since the start of its term and the implementation of the government program to strengthen the industrial sector.
Highlights from the Prime Minister’s Speech:
🔷 After 2003, an unregulated market opening flooded Iraq with imports, turning industrialists into traders and contractors.
🔷 We trust in the industrial sector, especially now that Iraqi industry has achieved self-sufficiency in key goods and products.
🔷 Iraqi food and pharmaceutical industries have made major strides in meeting domestic demand.
🔷 We reactivated the Industrial Council to develop and support the private sector; it provides solutions to industrial challenges.
🔷 For the first time, the government has introduced sovereign guarantees for private sector projects in the federal budget law.
🔷 We encouraged the adoption of modern technologies, equipment, and production lines to develop and localize products.
🔷 Priority was given to construction materials, food, and pharmaceutical industries.
🔷 The Council of Ministers is prepared to go beyond protective measures for local products—even to ban imports if a product is available locally.
🔷 The private sector is a partner in job creation. We advanced legislation on retirement and social security, pending since 2016.
🔷 There are 34,000 industrial projects in the private sector, employing thousands of registered workers with protected rights.
🔷 We still need to improve investment in oil product manufacturing to increase product value.
🔷 We aim to shift oil exports toward high-value derivatives through a significant petrochemical industry for export.
🔷 We supported industrialists with Resolution 672, which fixed customs duties at only 0.5% on imports for industrial projects and raw materials.
🔷 We launched key initiatives to support the industrial sector through loans for new and upcoming projects.
🔷 We issued decisions to streamline factory establishment by applying electronic systems, and 5,005 new industrial projects have been registered.
