Al-Sudani Directs Launch of New Administrative Reform Package Including Merger of Some Ministries and Reduction of Deputy Numbers

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani directed today, Friday, the launch of a new administrative reform package aimed at raising government performance efficiency and reducing unnecessary spending. The Council of Ministers spokesman said in an official statement that the reforms include merging some ministries with overlapping specializations and reducing the number of deputies in ministries to a maximum of two only. He added that the package also includes restructuring some independent government institutions and merging them into the relevant ministries to avoid duplication of work and waste of resources. Al-Sudani stressed during his directives the necessity of applying competence and integrity standards in selecting officials, affirming that any appointment to senior positions must pass through specialized committees. The statement revealed the formation of a high committee headed by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers to follow up on the implementation of reforms and submit monthly reports to the Prime Minister. Administrative experts see these reforms as a step in the right direction, but warned that actual implementation may face resistance from some parties that benefit from the current situation. Citizens called for the necessity of involving civil society and specialists in developing implementation mechanisms to ensure their success.