31 May، 2021
RCD held a symposium entitled “Future Vision and Implementation Obstacles” at its headquarters in the holy city of Najaf. During the symposium, the Minister of Housing, Construction, Municipalities and Public Works, Mr. Bengin Rikani, said that one of the most important reasons behind the failure of the projects is corruption, rubbery, mismanagement and the lack of respect by some citizens and officials to the money and properties of the state, which weakened the application of law. He also said that most plans and projects of construction date back to 1940s and 1950s, and there are design mistakes committed by the advisory offices at the universities.

Mr. Minister elaborated that the ministry’s plan is to separate or keep the service sector away from politics. He also added that the weakness of the state and services increased the citizens’ demands. Mr. Rikani confirmed that the province of Najaf is the second or third province in terms of irregular settlements accumulation due to the lack of residential land distribution, saying, “we demanded the Council of Ministers to build low-cost residential units for low-income individuals, and that the most difficult challenge facing the ministry is the reconstruction of liberated areas.”

In response to the attendees’ interventions, Mr. Rikani said, “I am with the transfer of powers to the provinces, and the necessity to activate investment, which is the most prominent contributor in the developed country, and with reducing ministries but within a hard work methodology that serves the interest of citizens.”

In unprecedented step within the RCD’s program, the Center organized direct individual interviews of citizens with the Minister of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works, and received their requests and complains; where he looked into many of the editorial requests written at RCD’s headquarters.