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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of Kirkuk's branch of the Iraqi Contractors Union has accused the government of mismanagement and financial neglect, citing the halting of more than 250 construction projects in the province due to lack of funds.
Newzad Anwar, who leads the union's Kirkuk branch, told Rudaw's Malik Mohammed on Saturday that contractors have been waiting nearly two years to receive 240 to 270 billion dinars ($183-206 million) in outstanding payments and loans from Baghdad. He warned that frustration over broken government pledges has prompted the union to organize nationwide protests in Baghdad next month.
"We have all lost hope," Anwar said. "As the Iraqi Contractors Union, we have decided to hold a major protest in Baghdad on July 2, involving all Iraqi provinces."
The union estimates that 700 billion dinars ($534 million) are needed to complete the halted infrastructure and service projects in Kirkuk. According to Anwar, no active construction work remains in the province, with every major undertaking either stopped or abandoned.
"All projects are halted. There is not a single project under way. More than 250 projects in Kirkuk have collapsed," he stated.
The announcement comes after a series of meetings between union representatives and senior government officials, including the Presidency, the Prime Minister's office, and the Ministry of Finance. Contractors say these talks have yielded no concrete results.
Anwar was particularly critical of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's administration, blaming poor financial governance for the crisis. He noted that suspended projects pose a long-term threat to urban infrastructure, as half-finished structures deteriorate and become eyesores.
