Sudani: Problems of Iraqi Society Have Economic Roots

Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani addressing the conference on Wednesday (Facebook)
Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani addressing the conference on Wednesday (Facebook)
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Sudani: Problems of Iraqi Society Have Economic Roots

Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani addressing the conference on Wednesday (Facebook)
Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani addressing the conference on Wednesday (Facebook)

As the Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced that the country’s population has reached 43 million, Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani stressed that most of the challenges and problems facing Iraqi society have economic roots.

Addressing the conference on reforming the tax system in Iraq on Wednesday, Sudani said: “Today’s tax reform... represents an important message to local and foreign investors, companies, and international organizations that this government is serious about restoring the business environment, reforming systems and legislation, and rehabilitating the institutional building to make them more attractive to investment, production, and employment.”

The Iraqi prime minister revealed that that total imports for 2022, according to data from the International Trade Center, amounted to $42 billion, while data obtained by the Central Bureau of Statistics pointed to $16 billion.

“This means that about $26 billion were not subject to duties... We have to imagine the amount of waste in financial revenues, which has disastrous effects on various industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors... These businesses will stop, and we will not be able to proceed with development projects,” he warned.

According to Sudani, the government’s priority is to address economic problems by fighting corruption and implementing tax reforms, as well as encouraging investments.

The head of the committee in charge of the Tax System Reform Conference, Ali Razouki, stressed that the committee seeks to enhance works towards the achievement of the country’s economic, financial, social, political and development goals.

“Since the first day of its birth, the government has been keen to address issues that affect the lives of citizens, including economic reforms,” he said.

As the government is trying to resolve the economic and social problems facing the country, recent figures show that Iraq is witnessing a remarkable population growth.

In the latest census for 2023, the Ministry of Planning announced that the Iraqi population has reached 43 million people.

The ministry’s official spokesman, Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi, added in a statement that Baghdad was the most populous city, encompassing around 9 million people.



Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
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Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove debris as they search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory's 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.
The daily bombardment and widespread hunger is taking a heavy toll on Gaza's most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children.
An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire, The Associated Press reported. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies.
Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service. Two other people were wounded.
Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as 4 years old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.