Shafaq News- Dhi Qar
The annual revenues of a major fruitand vegetable market in Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar province, plunged by more than 99%after its conversion into an investment project, according to figures disclosedby Iraqi lawmaker Ali Saber Al-Kinani, who linked the case to suspectedcorruption and financial irregularities.
Al-Kinani told Shafaq News onSaturday that the market had generated 3.082 billion Iraqi dinars (about $2M)annually for the municipality under the "musataha" system, along-term lease arrangement that allows the use and development of public landin exchange for annual payments. After being converted into an investmentproject under the name "Nasiriyah Central Market for Fruit and VegetableSales," its annual rental value dropped to just 28 million dinars (about$18,200), causing what the MP described as significant waste of public funds.
Preliminary investigations indicatedthat the project was awarded outside the legal procedures approved by Iraq'sNational Investment Commission following a process that began in 2020 andconcluded in 2024 after several attempts to convert the market into aninvestment opportunity. Al-Kinani also highlighted “inconsistencies” inNasiriyah Municipality's position after it initially granted preliminaryapproval before later objecting to the project.
The file, he added, has beenreferred to the judiciary to pursue legal action against those responsible forthe alleged loss of state revenues.
In 2025, Iraq's Federal Commissionof Integrity recovered nearly one trillion dinars (about $650M) in public fundswhile pursuing dozens of senior officials, including ministers, throughjudicial proceedings.
On May 30, Prime Minister AliAl-Zaidi established the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight,and Recovery of Public Funds, tasked with pursuing cases involving the misuseof public money across ministries, government institutions, and provincialadministrations.
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