The amount of money spent on Iraq’s electricity sector is far greater than what is actually needed to provide reliable power across the country, according to a prominent transparency advocate.
Mohammed al-Rubaie, head of the Al-Nahrain Foundation for Transparency and Integrity, said on Wednesday that Iraq has spent roughly ten times more on the electricity sector than the amount required to achieve a stable and continuous power supply.
Speaking to Rudaw, al-Rubaie argued that the enormous spending over the years has not produced results that match the level of investment made in the sector.
His comments come as Iraq continues to face chronic electricity shortages, particularly during the summer months when demand for power rises sharply due to extreme temperatures and increased use of cooling systems.
Despite decades of investment and repeated government plans to improve electricity generation and distribution, many areas of the country still experience regular power cuts and depend on private generators to meet daily energy needs.
Al-Rubaie suggested that inefficiency, poor planning, and corruption have contributed to the gap between spending and actual results, although he did not provide detailed figures to support his assessment.
The electricity sector remains one of Iraq’s most pressing public service challenges. Successive governments have allocated billions of dollars to power generation, transmission, and distribution projects, yet shortages continue to affect households, businesses, and public institutions.
The issue has frequently been a source of public frustration and has prompted repeated calls for greater transparency, accountability, and oversight of spending within the sector.
As Iraq enters another high-demand summer season, improving electricity supply remains a key priority for the government, which continues to pursue infrastructure projects and reforms aimed at strengthening the national power grid.
