Iraq's Deputy PM concedes his country is 'riddled with corruption' in extraordinary speech

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Ali Allawi has openly admitted that the country's economy is riddled with so much corruption that even the minor border post jobs are changing hands for as much as $100,000. While delivering an extraordinarily frank speech, the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister said that the government's efforts to introduce reforms in the country against corruption did not bring any 'quick wins'. Speaking further, Ali Allawi said that the country's economy will continue to remain in 'existential crisis' until oil does not reach $70 a barrel for a certain period of time. 

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Iraq's Deputy PM says country's economy is riddled with corruption

During the speech, Ali Allawi said that only one-tenth of the annual due worth $8 Billion arrived from border customs, in contrast to Jordan, where 97 per cent was received. Asserting that the border customs are riddled with corruption, Iraqi Deputy PM said that the border customs have reached a point where even minor clerks deployed at outposts charge their $50,000 to $100,000. 

Comparing Iraq's situation to the dry season at a lake in Africa, Allawi said that that if the oil prices will not move up then the country will have to take a decision. He suggested that either Iraq will follow a sort of Venezuela course and become an oil economy or simply tighten their belts against corruption. He also added that Iraq's current levels of public spending are unsustainable. 

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The Deputy PM said that the government required a resolution that is extremely powerful to stop corruption. Ali Allawi also mentioned that despite Iraq being the second-largest producer in OPEC, it is struggling to pay public salaries due to dwindling oil revenues because the COVID-19 pandemic has affected crude prices. As per the information shared by him, Iraqi federal government during October earned only $3.45 Billion in oil export revenues and this amount is not enough to cover salaries, benefits and other essential expenses. 

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Discussing the roles of US troops in Iraq, Allawi said that US presence in Iraq has moved from being required for essential stability to being somewhat ornamental. He also mentioned that the US has over 3,000 troops in the country but by the time US presidential-elect Joe Biden will take charge in January, the troops will drop to 2,500. 

Addressing the current situation of Iraq, the country's national security advisor Qasim Al-Araji stated that the US policies have motivated Iraq's armed groups to escalate. Referring to the killings of the Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and the leader of the Iranian Quds force, Qassem Suleimani, Araji said that Iraq has now become the victim of regional conflicts and disputes.

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