Iraqi Businesses See Better Times Ahead

(CNSNews.com) - A new poll shows Iraqi businesses are optimistic about the country’s future. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they anticipated economic growth over the next two years and 69 percent described themselves as “optimistic” about Iraq’s general economic future. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) commissioned the poll, which was conducted by Zogby International. The poll was based on interviews with more than 600 Iraqi business owners and managers in five cities: Baghdad, Hilla, Basra, Arbil, and Kirkuk. “Business confidence in Iraq is being driven by a sense of opportunity,” said John Sullivan, CIPE’s executive director. “The Iraqi economy has been rebounding, and private businesses see many opportunities to grow their firms. A significant number of businesses are reporting plans to hire more employees and to invest in order to build on this sense of economic progress and growth.” The poll also found a substantial rise in the employment of women.

You won’t hear this on the mainstream news casts.