Corruption in Iraq

Corruption is pervasive at all levels of government in Iraq. In 2021, President Barham Salih said that $150 billion of oil money had been smuggled out of Iraq in corrupt deals since the 2003 invasion.[1]

Political corruption
Concepts
Corruption by country
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
Central America
South America
Oceania

From 2013 to 2021, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index showed a perception that the Iraqi public sector was seriously corrupt but improving. On a scale of 0 to 100, where low numbers signify a perception of wide corruption, Iraq's score remained constant or rose every year, rising from 16 to 23 over the eight years. For comparison, in 2021 the lowest and highest scores in the Index were 11 and 88. When the 180 countries of the 2021 Index were ranked by score, Iraq's score of 23 ranked it 157th out of 180 on a scale where the higher rankings belonged to countries perceived to have the most corrupt public sectors.[2]

Dynamics

Political parties and public servants are considered corrupt, and petty corruption is highly institutionalized in Iraqi society.[3]

Corruption is considered an obstacle for doing business in Iraq, and red tape and inefficiency continue to persist. Government contracting is an area reported to be affected by high-levels of illicit activity, and public contracts are often awarded to companies connected to political leaders. Investors may come under pressure to take on well-connected local partners to avoid bureaucratic hurdles.[4]

Corruption in Iraq is endemic, systemic, and the main threat to Iraq's stability after the defeat of ISIS.[5]

In an al-Jazeera investigation, residents of Harthiya, a neighborhood in Baghdad alleged severe corruption in the construction sector. The neighborhood has experienced a construction boom since the 2003 invasion. Despite the many construction infractions, only a fraction of the revenue from government fines reaches the state treasury. Iraqi civil servants go around the neighborhood to inspect construction sites. When they spot wrongdoings, such as an extra floor in a building, an agreement is struck with the developer. The public official takes a bribe and in return, the state employee reduces the fine. The contractor pays the ticket and continues the project. Even if the builder pays in full, the fines are too small to deter construction companies when compared to the lucrative construction sector.[6]

Protests and political impacts

Iraqi dissatisfaction with corruption boiled over with large protests in 2018, and again in 2019 as part of ongoing protests, of which corruption in Iraq is one of the main causes, among several.[7]

Corruption in Iraq and subsequent ongoing protests of 2018 and 2019 resulted in then resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on November 30, 2019.[8]He was replaced by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in May 2020.

A 2013 survey by Transparency International indicated that a majority of Iraqis were dissatisfied with the government's efforts in fighting corruption.[3] In 2019, over 80% of Iraqis were concerned about worsening corruption at the highest levels of government.[5]

See also

References
  1. Tawfeeq, Mohammed (23 May 2021). "Iraq estimates that $150 billion of its oil money has been stolen from the country since the US-led invasion of 2003". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  2. "Corruption Perceptions Index 2021 for Iraq". Transparency.org. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  3. "Global Corruption Barometer 2013". Transparency International. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  4. "Iraq Country Profile". Business Anti-Corruption Portal. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. "Corruption Continues to Destabilize Iraq". Chatham House. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  6. "Iraq: The changing face of Baghdad's historic neighbourhoods". Al Jazeera. September 9, 2020.
  7. "Protesters block roads to Iraqi port, demand end to foreign meddling". Reuters. 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  8. Rubin, Alissa J.; Hassan, Falih (2019-11-30). "Iraqi Prime Minister Resigns in Deepening Political Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
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