Iraq News
Economy

East Mosul markets bustle with shoppers

By Khalid al-Taie

Shops in liberated Mosul display different merchandise for purchase after they were previsouly banned by the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'. [Photo courtesy of the Ninawa Media Centre]

Shops in liberated Mosul display different merchandise for purchase after they were previsouly banned by the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'. [Photo courtesy of the Ninawa Media Centre]

Mosul residents are once again buying goods and products that were banned for nearly three years under "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) rule.

At the Nabi Younis market in eastern Mosul, shop windows are now adorned with different types of clothing and cosmetics.

"Al-Hesba elements [ISIS's religious police] used to roam the market every day to make sure we were selling only what they allowed us to sell," said Watheq al-Taie, 41, who owns a small shop for women clothing.

"Their list of prohibitions was long and everything was forbidden," he told Diyaruna.

"Now we can offer what people want and they can buy what they want, just like in the old days," he said.

Shopping activity in Mosul is booming despite sporadic terrorist attacks, the most recent of which was the suicide attack in the Muthanna district of eastern Mosul on June 23rd that claimed the lives of three people, AFP reported.

Business flourishes again

Hundreds of trucks loaded with merchandise enter Mosul every day, said Ninawa governor advisor Duraid Hikmat Tobia.

After years of deprivation, "business has flourished again and markets crowded with shoppers are opening late", he told Diyaruna, adding that Iraqi forces are making a great effort to prevent terror attacks and ensure the safety of residents.

Clothing stores have resumed selling a wide array of skirts, dresses, trousers, jeans and sportswear.

"Bottles of perfumes, cosmetics, makeup, accessories and personal items also can be seen on the shelves once more after they were banned by ISIS," he said, adding that whoever did not comply with the group's directives faced harsh punishment.

"When we walk through the markets of our city, we notice many significant changes," said Riyadh al-Obeidi, a journalist from Mosul.

"Shopping was limited to men and children without the women and the clothes offered for sale all looked the same," he told Diyaruna.

There were no cosmetics, skin care or body care products, nor toys and stuffed animals for children, he said.

"There were many prohibitions and the punishment for ignoring or violating them reached death," al-Obeidi said.

Severing ISIS source of income

ISIS used to force Mosul merchants to import all their goods and merchandise from areas under the group's control in Syria, he said.

This provided the group with an additional source of funding, he added.

But with the start of the liberation battles, security forces closed the road between Mosul and the Syrian city of al-Raqa, thus severing this source of income for the group, al-Obeidi said.

Today, Mosul merchants import their goods through three main ports from the provinces of Erbil, Dohuk and Kirkuk, he said.

"However, the purchasing power of citizens is still below the required level," he said.

"The purchasing power is dependent on the return of all economic activities such as agriculture, industry and the banking sector," said Sadiq al-Bahadli, a professor of finance and banking at al-Mustansiriya University.

The resumption of these activities, especially in the agricultural sector that Ninawa province is known for, will help create new employment opportunities for residents and diversify their sources of income.

"The economy of the city now depends only on the retail industry, which does not create many jobs," al-Bahadli said, but the resumption of all day-to-day operations by state institutions will contribute to economic recovery.

"ISIS imposed on the people of Mosul a lifestyle contrary to their cultural and religious structure," he said.

This harmed the city, its many business owners, shops and small enterprises, he said.

"But now, after its liberation from terrorism, Mosul is on its way to achieving an open economy," he said.

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