But in 2014 and 2015, the government waived the usual visa fees of $80 per person, leading to a significant financial loss when the country already faced a budget deficit and serious economic deterioration. Based on that experience, the parliamentary tourism committee demanded Oct. 31 that the government reinstate the visa fees for 2016.
Another step the government ought to take is to facilitate private investment in the tourism sector. In addition to religious tourism, there are ancient archaeological sites that could generate income by attracting foreign tourists interested in the country's historical significance. Many of the sites are located in southern Iraq, which is relatively safe.
There is a general demand in Iraq for activating the private sector and privatizing industrial projects. Ahmed Safi, spokesman for Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, expressed the religious authority's wishes Sept. 18 in Najaf, saying, “The state needs to reduce the burden placed upon itself to take care of the private sector," while reducing laws that restrict private sector efforts and passing legislation that facilitates such investment.
Privatization would allow the government to oversee economic activity and end the rampant corruption. The government also needs to adhere to the guidelines of international integrity and anti-corruption institutions such as the Global Financial Integrity.
The only way out of the current crisis is for the government to look beyond stopgap measures and instead develop large-scale economic plans the general population can contribute to and benefit from.
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