Mediocre goods of all kinds flood Iraq in absence of controls

 

By Jamal Mudhafar

 

Azzaman, May 7, 2006

 

In the absence of any controls, Iraq has become a dumping ground for all sorts of goods from different sources.

 

Quality is not a criterion anymore, as traders have a free hand to import what they want from wherever they want.

 

In fact Iraq is perhaps the only country in the world relying solely on imports if we exclude its crude exports.

 

The Trade Ministry does not have the power to monitor the imports and the interior ministry lacks the means to control border points through which these imports flow.

 

There are no fines, no penalties to deter traders bluffing the hapless Iraqi consumers.

 

Therefore it is increasingly difficult to authenticate the country of origin of a commodity or the company producing it.

 

Goods made in China can have their stickers changed into “Made in Japan”.

 

Defrauding customers and not serving them seems to have become the ultimate aim of the new generation of post-U.S. invasion traders.

 

The porters of yesterday have turned into wholesale traders. No certification is required today to assume a role in almost any profession in Iraq.

 

Illiterate women squat streets, spread their tattered rugs and display medicine for sale which pharmacists may not have in their stores.

 

Pavement vendors now compete with licensed pharmacists.

 

But the vendors have the added advantage of selling to whoever they want and at a discount since they mostly get their medicine from government drug stores where graft and theft are rampant.