ILO: We cooperate with Iraq to support the private sector

Baghdad - INA

The International Labor Organization (ILO) confirmed on Wednesday that developing the private sector is a priority to support the Iraqi economy, pointing to cooperation with state institutions according to 3 axes to develop policies that support the private sector.

The country coordinator of the International Labor Organization in Iraq, Maha Kattaa, said during her speech at the Eighth International Conference on Social Security, which was attended by the correspondent of the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "This conference represents an important step to unify the efforts made by various parties, including the International Labor Organization, affiliated with the United Nations, which has been working in Iraq for many years."

Kattaa explained that "our most important priorities are to support the development of the private sector, with a focus on facilitating access to financing through a diverse package of initiatives, including those related to social security."

She added that "the International Labor Organization works closely with multiple national parties, most notably the Ministry of Labor, in addition to other national parties such as the Central Bank of Iraq, the Iraqi Banking Guarantees Company, and a number of private banks, through initiatives such as the 4 trillion dinar initiative and others."

She pointed out that "the organization relies on three axes, the most important of which is developing policies that support the private sector. Here we mention the work carried out by various entities, the most important of which is the Ministry of Planning in developing the national policy for small and medium enterprises."

She stressed that "this policy will help set general national directions to support and develop these projects, with social security being a fundamental axis in it."

She explained that "the organization is working with the Ministry of Labor and various entities to set the national employment policy, with a focus on the importance of creating job opportunities, which should be a fundamental axis in any national policy and any initiative that is adopted, in addition to encouraging young people to enter the private sector."

She added that "the development of small projects and entrepreneurship, and the Riyada initiative, all contribute to this direction," noting that "the organization is working to develop legislation, including the labor law, social security, occupational health and safety, localization, litigation, and other laws related to the development of the private sector and small and medium enterprises."