The focus of the fourth session of RCD Forum 2019 – Baghdad has been entitled “Investment in Businesses and Energy: the Lifeline of Iraqi Economy.” During the session, the interlocutors, involved in the subject of investment and fund management, have reviewed their views that would contribute to make a progress in investment, emphasizing its importance and the significance of legislating laws that commensurate with the constitution and encourage providing a suitable environment for attracting investments. They have also discussed working for the activation of private sector and allowing it to exercise its role in development and advancement. The advisor of Ministry of Oil, Dr. Falah Al-Amiri, has addressed the issue of low global oil production in 2014 and its effect on investment, in addition to the effect of export interruption in the war with ISIS. On the other hand, the Minister of Electricity, Dr. Louay Al-Khatib, confirmed that the electricity is a national security issue that affects the backbone of economy, adding that the deterioration of this service will reflect negatively on industrial, economic and security situation.
 
In conclusion, all participants have emphasized the importance of a proper legislative environment that provides a protection to foreign investors and preserves their rights, encouraging them to invest. Moreover, the chairman of the Business Council, Dr Majed Al-Saidi – with the current budget situation – considers that opening the door for foreign investment is possible; emphasizing that more than 95 percent of the Iraqi territories is ready for that. He also said that we could benefit in this respect from Iraqi expatriates who fan out over the world continents, whose volume of investment now is more than $55 billion in the neighboring countries. Meanwhile, Dr. Ali Al-Allak has emphasized that the monetary policy plays an important role in achieving financial and monetary stability, stressing the necessity to protect the national product and avoid flooding the market with foreign products.