BAGHDAD: Iraq's trade ministry has cancelled direct cash purchases of essential food items, such as sugar, wheat and rice, as a measure to halt corruption, Deputy Trade Minister Sweiba Mahmoud said.
The move was announced as a 100-day target set by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to improve his fragile coalition government's performance in the face of popular protests against shortages and corruption neared its early June deadline.
Although direct cash food purchases were being halted, Iraq, one of the world's largest grain importers, would continue to hold public and selective tenders to supply its food needs.
Most of the essential food items imported for the national monthly food ration programme had come from direct cash purchases, a ministry source said.
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011
Copyright Reuters, 2011
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