A team of experts and specialists in the Ministry of Finance concluded a training course held at the International Institute for Administration in Australia under the slogan “Programs for Developing Management and Administration.” A statement issued by the press office of the Ministry and obtained by Mawtani indicated that the course included valuable information and lectures on administrative arts, strategic planning, human resources, politics, finance, accounting, and information technology.

The course comes at a time when the Ministry of Finance is intensifying its efforts to raise the level of its employees and specialized staff technically and scientifically, due to the fact that they have been cut off from interaction with the external world and the major changes that occurred in many aspects of their work at the Ministry of Finance. Australia was the first station in which these courses were organized for ministry employees in many areas, including administration, principles of sound management, performance capabilities, and forming basic networks in Iraq among managers who have the desire and ability to reform the public sector. According to the statement, the course also included lessons and lectures on the importance of strategic planning in determining future goals and necessary steps to achieve them, as well as crisis management.

The Director of the International Institute for Administration, Jeremy McMillan, who supervised the course, indicated at an evaluation session that the course “is excellent,” expressing also the desire of the Institute to organize similar courses for employees of the Ministry of Finance in the future, as this ministry is important for the development of the administration of public services in Iraq.

The Ministry of Finance signed an agreement with Australian officials stipulating that they would organize courses for ministry staff to develop their skills. They agreed to select the International Institute for Administration as the headquarters to organize the courses, based on its good reputation.

The Iraqi government deems important these advanced courses in developed countries which have great influence in financial policies. These courses will help convey international experience to Iraqis in the field of financial administration and will help develop their technical abilities. This will, in the end, serve a role in reforming the state institutions, and will also help strengthen relations between Iraq and advanced countries, which will facilitate the transfer of modern technology to Iraq.