Philosophy Of Economic Empowerment
Economic 2025/08/18 Abdul Zahra Muhammad Al-Hindawi Months ago, the Ministry of Labor
launched a series of initiatives aimed at transforming social protection beneficiaries from aid recipients to productive members of the labor market.
It also launched intensive efforts to rehabilitate large numbers of young people through training courses that provide them with the skills necessary to integrate into the labor market.
Undoubtedly, these policies express the true philosophy behind the concept of economic empowerment for poor families, which represents a shift from the logic of temporary support to sustainable production.
The assistance received by social protection beneficiaries should be a transitional phase,
enabling individuals to overcome their difficult circumstances and reach a stage of self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
Of course, there are groups who cannot be deprived of these benefits,
such as the elderly or those with complex disabilities,
who have lost the ability to meet their basic needs.
Although Iraq’s social protection policy has largely succeeded in reducing poverty rates and
saving thousands of families from destitution, it has also created financial and structural challenges.
The increase in the number of families covered by the program to more than two million means that we are talking about nearly a quarter of Iraq’s population, which places increasing pressure on the general budget.
Furthermore, some youth groups now view the subsidy salary as a convenient solution that replaces work, given the lack of incentives for development or engagement in the production market.
In the face of these challenges, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has taken action along three integrated paths.
The first is to identify the truly poor, which has contributed to improving inclusion standards and making them more equitable and realistic.
The second path involves clearing the protection network of those who are not entitled to it,
which represents a significant achievement in rationalizing spending and directing support to those who deserve it.
The third path has been directed towards strengthening economic empowerment,
which represents the most important pillar, as it aims to address poverty at its roots.
Empowerment is the transition from the concept of “receiving aid” to “creating opportunity,” and from a state of helplessness to a space for production.
Therefore, it requires greater attention from the state and more coordination between the Ministries of Labor, Planning, Education, Finance, and the private sector to support small projects and encourage youth to innovate and produce, instead of relying on and waiting for aid.
The experiences of many countries, such as China, Brazil, India, and Rwanda,
have proven that economic empowerment policies are not only more sustainable,
but also lead to reduced dependence on government support and broad-based economic growth.
What we need today is to reframe our priorities so that empowerment policies become the norm,
and aid becomes a temporary exception.
The future of social justice in Iraq lies not only in the efficient distribution of aid,
but also in our ability to transform beneficiaries into producers, and rependents into economic actors.
This is the essence of the empowerment philosophy, in light of which policies must be reshaped.
https://alsabaah.iq/119086-.html
Al-Ahly First, Baghdad Second… Bank Profits Reveal Foreign Dominance
August 16, 2025 Last updated: August 16, 2025 Al-Mustaqilla/- A document obtained by the Independent Press Agency revealed the profit rates of Iraqi banks during the first half of this year, shedding light on the reality of the banking sector and the dominance of some foreign banks within it.
According to the document, the National Bank of Iraq topped the list of profits, occupying first place, while the Bank of Baghdad came in second, and Mansour Bank came in third.
Data indicates that profits generated by foreign banks operating in Iraq remain substantial,
amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, even as the local banking sector faces widespread criticism for its poor performance and declining public confidence.
This arrangement comes amid an ongoing crisis of confidence between the public and Iraqi banks,
particularly after a number of banks were placed on US sanctions lists, and others were subjected to liquidation or audit procedures by the Central Bank.
Observers believe that the continued dominance of foreign banks in the Iraqi market reflects the
fragility of the financial structure of local banks and their weak ability to compete.
This requires radical reforms to banking policies and a comprehensive restructuring of the sector
to bolster depositor confidence. https://mustaqila.com/الأهلي-أولاً-وبغداد-ثانياً-أرباح-المص/
The Central Bank Announces The Launch Of A Project Financing Guide.
August 17, 2025 The Central Bank of Iraq announced the launch of a guide to accessing financing for small, medium, and micro enterprises, in cooperation with the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Iraqi Private Banks Association.
In his speech during the launch ceremony of the guide,
the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Dr. Ammar Khalaf, said:
“Iraq has witnessed a multiplicity of lending providers.
The Central Bank of Iraq, through the National Lending Strategy,
has developed a guide that complements this strategy.
It enables entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and provides a mature and informative destination for all loans, providing a new opportunity for easier access and faster procedures for obtaining financing.”
The Deputy Governor noted that the banking reform strategy adopted by the Central Bank of Iraq
will support procedures for accessing project financing according to a clear vision to enhance confidence in the Iraqi banking system.
Central Bank of Iraq Media Office https://cbi.iq/news/view/2959
An Economist Points To Strategic Gains Iraq Is Making In The Oil And Water Sectors.
Economy, | 504 Baghdad Today – Baghdad Economic expert Nabil Al-Marsoumi confirmed on Saturday (August 16, 2025) that the construction of the Iraq-Syria pipeline represents a strategic gain that reduces shipping distances to European markets.
He also pointed out that the joint seawater supply project is the key to achieving huge gains in oil production from Iraq.
Al-Marsoumi said in a post on his Facebook account, followed by Baghdad Today, that
“in 2009, the Ministry of Oil formed a team headed by Engineer Alaa Al-Asadi to discover and inspect the Iraqi-Syrian pipeline from Kirkuk to the Syrian border with the Italian company Saipem,” noting that
“the committee stated in its report that the cost of rehabilitating the pipeline amounted to $780 million,
while the cost of establishing a new pipeline with a length of 888 km, a diameter of 40 inches, and a
capacity of 1.250 million barrels per day reached $11 billion at 2009 prices, and
it is expected that the cost will rise to $14 billion at today’s prices,
especially since the pipeline is completely destroyed.”
He added, Although this pipeline is a strategic gain,
reducing shipping distances to European markets,
reducing dependence on chokepoints in the Arabian Gulf, and
giving Iraq an additional option for exporting north at a time when its only current route,
via the port of Ceyhan in Turkey, is facing severe pressure, transporting crude oil from Kirkuk to southern Iraq for export to the Gulf is still the cheapest route by about $1 per barrel.
This cost will rise to between $3 and $5 per barrel in tariffs and insurance via the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline, in addition to additional capital investments to repair the pipeline.” He indicated that
“transportation costs and transit fees will rise significantly if the transport of Kirkuk oil is limited, as the pipeline’s capacity will not exceed 300,000 barrels per day.”
In another context, the economic expert explained that the China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC) won a contract for a seawater pipeline project from processing facilities to various oil fields throughout Basra, valued at $2.524 billion. He pointed out that
“the joint seawater supply project is the key to achieving massive gains in oil production from Iraq.
The seawater project is one of four projects that have been referred to the French company Total as part of the integrated southern project.
It aims to provide 5 million barrels per day, later increasing to 7.5 million barrels per day,
for the purpose of water injection and sustaining oil production in the Basra, Maysan and Dhi Qar fields, and over a length of no less than 1,000 kilometers of fields.”
The British newspaper, The Guardian, published a shocking report on how oil companies are using fresh water in oil extraction operations, depriving citizens and agriculture in the country of huge quantities of water, exposing the environment to serious risks, and contributing to the spread of serious diseases.
According to the newspaper, an analysis of satellite images revealed that the Italian company Eni is building a dam on the Basra Canal to divert water to its treatment plants.
Other companies, such as BP and ExxonMobil, are using up to 25% of Iraq‘s potable water for the same purpose. https://baghdadtoday.news/281029-.html
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