Al-Diwaniyah province needs $321M to restart stalled projects

Shafaq News- Al-Diwaniyah

All development projects in southern Iraq’s Al-Diwaniyah province have come to a standstill because of the financial crisis, Governor Abbas Al-Zamili told Shafaq News on Wednesday, adding that restarting work and reviving economic activity requires at least 500 billion Iraqi dinars ($321M) this year.

Al-Zamili clarified that many projects had exceeded 90% completion before funding was cut off. The list includes the Australian Hospital, Al-Sunbula Sports Stadium, housing complexes affiliated with the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works, infrastructure rehabilitation projects, and more than 20 sewage schemes across the province.

Several bridges, overpasses, and ministry buildings, he said, have also remained unfinished, pointing out that projects funded through the Regional Development Program may stop unless financing is secured.

Calling the situation a matter of “life or death” for the province, Al-Zamili noted that the health sector alone needs 70 billion dinars ($45M) to complete ongoing projects, cautioning that deliveries of medical equipment could also be disrupted.

Jaafar Al-Zamili, a member of parliament's Regions and Provinces Committee representing Al-Diwaniyah, told Shafaq News on June 13 that the absence of federal budgets for 2025 and 2026 had disrupted funding for provincial and ministerial projects. He said Finance Minister Falih Al-Sari had pledged support for the province.

Read more: Al-Diwaniyah, a province of untapped potential and neglect