Free zones and access Including in the process of transition to a market economy in Iraq

Abstract

In the Iraqi economic transition process, free trade zones can provide effective solutions for most of the difficulties facing the transition process. As Iraq possesses essential natural capabilities, the Iraqi free trade zone can have many attractive features especially when a solid preparation plan is followed. The free trade zone provides the ability to construct advanced and comprehensive infrastructure facilities in a relatively short period of time by which the zone's economical activities can be accurately monitored and controlled. In addition, free trade zones provide the ability to construct advanced logistic systems and to implement the ‘JIT’ system for transportation which in turn can reduce to a high extent the social overburden resulting from the transition process. Furthermore, a suitable local jurisdiction system can be applied to the trade zone and maintained to fulfill the periodic requirements through a systematic evaluation. The free trade zones can be considered as a launching platform for distributing the free market economic principles through expanding the investment activities which in turn impact the local economic sectors. This impact would encourage all economic sectors to pursue advanced economical methods and technologies in order to emerge in the new economic environment.As a result, major correction steps wouldbe needed to be applied to the current economic sectors to increase productivity and would provide more alternatives to choose from for the Iraqi transition process