By John Lee.
The Ministry of Construction and Housing has reportedly announced a comprehensive plan to extend infrastructure services to districts and sub-districts across Iraq, including the development of "more than 21" (sic) residential cities in various governorates.
Nabil al-Saffar, spokesman for the ministry, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the plan covers more than 100 projects in water and sewerage services, with a focus on outlying areas beyond city centres. He noted that population concentration in urban centres had placed significant pressure on existing infrastructure, prompting the ministry to direct investment towards peripheral areas with greater available space.
Residential cities for which basic designs have been prepared include:
- Two cities in Baghdad, where work has already begun
- Cities under way in Mosul, Karbala, and Babylon
- Cities at the referral stage in Basra, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Maysan, and Wasit, having reached the final announcement phase
The ministry said these integrated residential cities are being developed in co-operation with real estate developers across multiple governorates. Al-Saffar noted that the ministry is responsible for inter-governorate road projects, while internal road responsibilities fall under local authorities, alongside water, sewerage, and municipal infrastructure works.
On the Housing Fund, al-Saffar said the launch date for loans has not yet been finalised, pending the availability of financial allocations, with reliance placed on the repayment mechanism from previous loans. He added that last year all 27,000 approved applicants were included in the scheme.
(Source: Iraqi News Agency)
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