Friday, October 06, 2006
GRD announces remaining $13.5 bn allocated
Reconstruction
The Iraq Project and Contracting Office (PCO) and its partner, the Gulf Region Division (GRD) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), announced Oct. 4 that the remaining projects under the $13.5 billion apportioned by the U.S. Congress to the Department of Defense for Iraq reconstruction project funds have been started.
In addition to over 2,670 projects completed during the past three years, a significant portion of the reconstruction program has been realized. According to the PCO, this milestone represents a significant step toward completion of the legislation passed in November 2003 entitled the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The fund appropriated $18.4 billion for the reconstruction of Iraq and Congress identified a three year period for all the funds to be obligated on contract. The U.S. Army's portion includes approximately $4.4 billion for non-construction goods such as security and law enforcement, vehicles, hospital beds and other goods, and $9.1 billion for construction that includes a wide range of infrastructure projects including electricity generation and oil production, water and sewage treatment, school construction and - in limited areas - a 9-1-1 service.
In addition to over 2,670 projects completed during the past three years, a significant portion of the reconstruction program has been realized. According to the PCO, this milestone represents a significant step toward completion of the legislation passed in November 2003 entitled the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The fund appropriated $18.4 billion for the reconstruction of Iraq and Congress identified a three year period for all the funds to be obligated on contract. The U.S. Army's portion includes approximately $4.4 billion for non-construction goods such as security and law enforcement, vehicles, hospital beds and other goods, and $9.1 billion for construction that includes a wide range of infrastructure projects including electricity generation and oil production, water and sewage treatment, school construction and - in limited areas - a 9-1-1 service.
"The combined expenditure of U.S. and Coalition partners has raised production capacity levels in the critical areas of oil and electricity to exceed pre-war (2002) levels," a PCO statement read. Currently, more than 330,000 grade school students now have improved classrooms and 248 Iraqi border posts protect 2,000 miles of border. Overall, the Army team has completed over 2,670 construction projects out of a total planned program of 3,683 projects.
