Skip to main content

Outgoing Iraqi government's policies cause billions of dollars in economic losses

Abdul Mahdi's resigned government causes billions of dollars in losses to the economy.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi speaks during a symbolic funeral ceremony of Major General Ali al-Lami, who commands the Iraqi Federal Police's Fourth Division, who was killed in Salahuddin, in Baghdad, Iraq October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily - RC13E6661570
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi speaks Oct. 23, 2019, during a symbolic funeral ceremony in Baghdad for Maj. Gen. Ali al-Lami, a dederal police division commander who was killed in Salahuddin. — REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily

Following a vote in the Iraqi parliament Jan. 5, requesting the government to work on expelling US troops from the country, US President Donald Trump threatened Iraq with severe sanctions, which would worsen the already destroyed Iraqi economy.

Although the successive Iraqi governments all had a role in destroying the economy, the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, the current caretaker prime minister, played a large part due to a series of miserable policies and decisions he adopted since coming to office in October 2018.

The government, which resigned along Abdul Mahdi on Dec. 1, approved a package of economic decisions to ease the ongoing demands-triggered protests that erupted at the beginning of October. Yet experts believe the next government will not go forward with these decisions that will cost the economy huge losses.

The outgoing Iraqi government had vowed to boost the economy, but it failed to create jobs, build new projects or solve the crises that afflicted society. Iraq has weak basic services such as electricity, health care and education.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish