Small Industries and Their Role in Sustainable Development in Babylon Province

Abstract

There is no specific definition to Small Industries term , because of the countries systems variance , and the economic development levels. Nevertheless, there is semi-agreement concerning its main characteristics: individual management ,mini-size firms , exiguity of workers numbers , its dependence , mostly, on local inputs , oriented to serve small local markets , moreover , the simple technology of its industrial processes .

      Small industries had been illustrated as about 95% from total number of manufacturing industries establishments in Iraq and in case study spot Babylon Governorate , and worked in about 25% from the industrial labour force .

    Industrial  sector has faced , generally, many challenges before and after 2003, thus its contribution of total Domestic Gross Production has been declined into lower than 2% , nevertheless, in Babylon have exceeded many of them. The governorate ,now, including 9.6%of its total establishments in country compared with  5.5% from population of country, 7.5% of workers worked in , but it shared of only 4% from added value.

            From the applied study , it seems that its main branches are :fooding, textile , wood furniture's, construction, and simple geometric equipments. Its establishments expanded  into wide areas in the governorate specially rural , and provides an important labour inning for females, and the hardly educated inhabitants, depends in high percentage on local agricultural inputs, consequently, most of them oriented to serve local markets, and some of them may gain foreign markets. That allowed as to talk about its importance to achieve many sides from sustainable development in its dimensions: economic , social , and environmental, however , those need an assistant : providing protection from unfair competition of imported goods, offers its needed of energy , financial facilities, infrastructure services .