Iraqi Economists Network

Iraqi protesters block entrance to Nassiriya oil refinery: sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Anti-government protesters blocked the entrance to the Nassiriya oil refinery in southern Iraq on Wednesday, security and oil sources said. The protesters blocked the tankers that transport fuel to gas stations from entering the refinery, causing fuel shortages across Dhi Qar province, the sources told Reuters. The refinery has a maximum production capacity of 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) but had recently only been producing between 15,000-20,000 bpd, oil sources said, which is not enough to meet the province’s fuel needs.

Blockage of Umm Qasr port has cost Iraq over $6 billion: PM’s spokesman

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The blocking of Iraq’s major Umm Qasr port on the Gulf by anti-government protesters has cost the country over $6 billion so far, a spokesman for Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Wednesday. “The closure of Umm Qasr port harms the country. Hundreds of trucks are still parked. This issue is causing massive damage to the nation. Iraq’s losses have exceeded $6 billion until now,” said Abdul Kareem Khalaf in a news conference.

Iraq imports 7 gigawatts of electricity from Iran, says official

CAIRO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Iraq imports 7 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from Iran to make up the shortfall between domestic power production and the country’s needs, a power ministry official said on Wednesday. Abbas Jabber, electricity ministry undersecretary, told a conference in Cairo that “maybe in three years” Iraq could achieve self-sufficiency but added that it would be a challenge because consumers paid a fraction of the production costs.

Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi chaired a plenary meeting with economic advisers

Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi chaired a plenary meeting with economic advisers and the Finance Minister to work on, if not finalize the 2020 national budget. Discussion ranged from cutting retirement packages and current pay for politicians and advisers to allocating funding for infrastructure initiatives and the employment stimulus packages.

Our Vision We are a non-commercial Network of politically independent Iraqi Economists in and outside Iraq established in 2009. We aim at contributing to rebuilding the Iraqi economy and establishing a strong foundation for sustainable economic and social development, in order to achieve economic prosperity and justice for all Iraqi people beyond any political differences be

In the wake of large-scale popular demonstrations in Iraq, demands for the resignation of its prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, have increased. Among the most vocal voices demanding his resignation has been the unpredictable cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Sadr, who has tried to model himself as the defender of Iraqi nationalism and the champion of a clean government, even claimed that

The recent wave of protests in Iraq has been geographically concentrated in Shia regions, not yet spreading in any substantial way to Sunni or Kurdish provinces. But this is not a Shia revolt, and any attempt to impose a sectarian framing on it fails to understand the underlying drivers. Shia symbols have not occupied a central place in the demonstrators’ slogans, and Shia c

In Washington, some believe that despite the protests in Iraq that began in early October and continue apace, the current Iraqi government should be supported and given help as it responds to the just demands of the protesters. The reasons given range from: “What is the alternative? The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t” to “This is the constitutionally elected

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