Iraq has excluded several companies from road projects in the capital Baghdad after they were found to be responsible for long delays in such projects in the past years, an Iraqi official was reported on Wednesday as saying.

OPEC’s second largest oil producer has already awarded several projects within the first round of a road development scheme designed to ease traffic congestion in the capital.

“The projects have been awarded only to serious and capable companies,” said Hussein Kazim, Director of the Roads in the Construction and Housing Ministry.

He told the INA that nearly 90 percent of the first round projects are expected to be completed in 2024 which “will be a year of achievements.”

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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