Baghdad - INA
The Industrial Development Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced on Saturday the launch of a unified electronic portal to reduce project licensing time from three years to one month. The directorate also revealed that 264 Iraqi products are exported to global markets with government support.
The Director General of Industrial Development, Ali Ibrahim Janaan, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The directorate is working daily to discuss mechanisms for expediting and simplifying transactions, in line with the directives of the government and the new minister, who are focusing on this issue." He explained that "Industrial Development was among the first directorates to begin the digital transformation through the 'Ur' platform, where electronic applications for industrial projects to obtain establishment licenses were launched, in addition to adopting electronic payment via Visa cards or POS devices."
He added that "the directorate provides 17 services to the private sector, 14 of which have been automated, while the automation of 3 services is delayed due to their reliance on fingerprinting and in-person procedures." He also noted that "an agreement has been signed with the postal service to deliver licenses to citizens' homes, allowing project owners to apply, pay, and track their applications electronically and receive the license at home without having to visit the directorate."
He pointed out that "the number of licenses issued since the beginning of 2026 exceeds 500, with a continued daily increase." He explained that "938 licenses are currently being established, and 172 are fully established, in addition to land allocation services and needs assessments for industrial projects."
Janaan stated that "the directorate has moved towards launching a unified electronic portal after training sector entities and granting them electronic access. Applications will be sent to this portal, and a response time of 15 to 30 days will be provided." He emphasized that "this step will reduce the establishment process from three years to one month and minimize direct contact between investors and employees."
He added, "The most prominent challenge facing investors is land allocation. Around 5,000 licenses have been canceled due to the unavailability of land, despite previous decisions to allocate 1,000 dunams in each governorate, which have not been implemented." He expressed his hope that "the current government will reactivate this decision."
He explained that "there are also delays in approvals from some sectoral bodies, especially environmental ones, in addition to obstacles in customs procedures, despite the existence of shared electronic platforms." He noted that "coordination with the relevant authorities continues to address these issues."
He affirmed that "the industrial sector has witnessed remarkable growth, particularly in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Pharmaceutical projects have received significant support within the industrial localization program, while the food industry has achieved remarkable expansion, with some of its products reaching the export stage."
Regarding industrial cities, he explained that "there is progress in the establishment of several, most notably in Anbar and Hilla, while the cities of Nasiriyah and Basra have reached advanced stages, with plans to establish an industrial city in every governorate." He pointed out that "the increase in industrial cities will directly contribute to providing job opportunities." He noted that "the number of Iraqi exported products reached 264 to various countries around the world," explaining that "the directorate provides extensive facilities for investors, including loans, land allocation, and assistance in obtaining approvals."
He pointed out that "the most significant challenge lies in the high costs of production, especially energy and labor, which affect the competitiveness of local products," emphasizing that "the move towards using solar energy for 50% of production will contribute to reducing costs and supporting national industry."
