Politics

Kurdistan Region to build 11 industrial areas

An official said that the move comes as part of efforts to build a "solid industrial infrastructure" in the Kurdistan Region, as "we are 90 to 95 percent dependent on imported goods."

Mustafa Shilani 2020/10/12 20:20

kurdistan Kurdistan industrial areas self-sufficiency Erbil Duhok Sulaimani Halabja

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to build 11 industrial zones in ongoing efforts to modernize the local economy and diversify sources of income for the public.

The project would facilitate the local industry’s growth, improve access to food products, and push forward economic and agricultural development, the KRG has stated. It would also purportedly reduce reliance on imports.

Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masrour Barzani recently laid the foundation stone for establishing a food processing zone in Dohuk, as part of a series of similar projects that would be implemented across the region.

The head of the Kurdistan Region’s Investment Board, Mohammed Shukri, told Kurdistan 24 that “similar to the food processing zone in Duhok, the foundation stone will soon be laid [for projects] in other areas of the region.”

Shukri added that the KRG would announce a plan for setting up industrial zones “within a short period.”

“In the next few days, we will announce our plan to build an industrial zone in Sulaimnai province’s Arabat area, and the same for Halabja province as well, with the aim to build 2,000 to 3,000 new factories in Kurdistan Region, as part of the government’s plan of transmission from a consumer society to a producer society.”

The Investment Board is discussing ways to implement the 11 industrial zones by investors, and each zone will have at least 30 factories, which will provide thousands of job opportunities for the public, according to Shukri.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Fathi Mohammed, told Kurdistan 24, that “self-sufficiency and protection of food security is one of the most important goals the [KRG] is working on.”

Mohammed explained that this is part of efforts to build a solid industrial infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region, as “we are 90 to 95 percent dependent on imported goods, and [the projects] aim to change that.”

Editing by Khrush Najari