Kurdistan region's borders leak $1.2 Billion per annum: STOP
Shafaq News/ The borders of the Kurdistan region drain more than $100 million monthly, a Kurdistan-based corruption watchdog said in an unsettling report released on Monday, laying bare the sheer scale of corruption pervading the semi-autonomous region's border authority.
Ari Abdullah, the chief of STOP organization, in conjunction with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in the United States, unfolded this disquieting account, prying open the murky underbelly of the border operation system.
The report dissects the troubling narrative into three broad themes: an ambiguous legal framework, persistent revenue discrepancies, and the sprawling, unchecked wastage endemic to these crossings.
The report pointedly highlights the inconsistency between the federal and regional governments over the recognition of border crossings and airports.
"While Baghdad acknowledges four border crossings and two airports, the regional government has endorsed an additional 11 crossings, beside a disconcerting count of 20 unofficial sub-crossings," Abdullah said.
This lack of consensus, the report contends, has fostered regulatory blind spots and fostered administrative confusion.
The report states that nearly 80% of imported goods bypass routine checks, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the inspection mechanism. It cautions, however, against interpreting this oversight as an indicator of inferior product quality.
A stark critique lies in the report's exposition of the Kurdistan regional government's conspicuous absence from the Federal Border Crossings Authority in Baghdad. This lacuna, coupled with a critique of the feeble performance of the Kurdistan Region's court for customs crimes compared to its Baghdad counterparts, paints a picture of institutional frailty that further exacerbates the already grim situation.
Amidst this grim tableau, the report does proffer a roadmap toward rectification. It urges the regional government to "overhaul the border crossings management, enhance coordination with federal institutions, fortify smuggling control mechanisms, and robustly augment the quality control process." The report also calls for "establishing a unified local revenue collection fund, to include the revenues from border crossings for an efficient and transparent financial management system."
Established in 2013, "STOP Organization for Monitoring and Development" is a nonprofit NGO formed by volunteers and activists to combat corruption in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It aims to promote transparent governance in both public and private sectors. Its mission also includes promoting accountability, enhancing citizen participation in anti-corruption work, and strengthening institutional resistance against bribery and corruption.
