Sunday, November 11, 2007
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction From SIGIR Observations
October 30, 2007 Quarterly Report to Congress
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction From SIGIR Observations
Although the overall security environment has improved recently, contractors, journalists, and Iraq’s citizens continue to live and work in an environment that is, in many places, still quite dangerous:
+ The Department of Labor (DoL) reported 72 new death claims this quarter for civilian contractors working on U.S.-funded projects in Iraq. Since Iraq reconstruction began, 1,073 death claims have been filed with the DoL. Reported deaths in this category were about 22% above the quarterly average.
+ DoS reported that three U.S. civilians died in Iraq this quarter. Since the beginning of the U.S. reconstruction effort, 235 U.S. civilian workers have died in Iraq. Non-military U.S. citizen deaths reported this quarter were 78% below the quarterly average.
+ This quarter, 2 journalists were killed in Iraq; 119 Iraqi and other journalists have been killed since March 2003, and 41 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began, including 2 this quarter.
+ Violence continued to force Iraqis to migrate. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that one of every seven Iraqis has been displaced by the conflict in Iraq. The UNHCR noted that large numbers of Iraqis continue to flee the country, and admission into Syria and Jordan became subject to visa approval this quarter. Internal migration is also limited by provincial restrictions on admission of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Although the overall security environment has improved recently, contractors, journalists, and Iraq’s citizens continue to live and work in an environment that is, in many places, still quite dangerous:
+ The Department of Labor (DoL) reported 72 new death claims this quarter for civilian contractors working on U.S.-funded projects in Iraq. Since Iraq reconstruction began, 1,073 death claims have been filed with the DoL. Reported deaths in this category were about 22% above the quarterly average.
+ DoS reported that three U.S. civilians died in Iraq this quarter. Since the beginning of the U.S. reconstruction effort, 235 U.S. civilian workers have died in Iraq. Non-military U.S. citizen deaths reported this quarter were 78% below the quarterly average.
+ This quarter, 2 journalists were killed in Iraq; 119 Iraqi and other journalists have been killed since March 2003, and 41 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began, including 2 this quarter.
+ Violence continued to force Iraqis to migrate. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that one of every seven Iraqis has been displaced by the conflict in Iraq. The UNHCR noted that large numbers of Iraqis continue to flee the country, and admission into Syria and Jordan became subject to visa approval this quarter. Internal migration is also limited by provincial restrictions on admission of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Labels: civilian contractors, IDPs, Iraq, Iraqi refugees, journalists, reconstruction, SIGIR, UNHCR
Friday, August 24, 2007
Basra to receive $30 mn. from U.S.
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - The southern city of Basra has received $30 million from U.S. Congress to upgrade its public utilities, a senior official of Basra Reconstruction and Development council said. Tuama al-Nouri, the council’s deputy head, said the grant will be wholly dedicated to service projects a list of which is being prepared.
He did not specify the kind of projects the grant will be used to implement but a previous offer of $34 million was utilized to execute “six schemes”. The U.S. has poured billions of dollars into Iraqi reconstruction but the impact has been negligible due to rampant corruption and the contracting process in which up to a dozen contractors pass the project to one another with each skimming a sizeable portion.
The contracts normally land in the hands of local entrepreneurs who use their connections to centers of power in their areas to make even further financial gains from the meager allocations left for the project.
Meantime, the Danish Foreign Ministry has agreed to finance the reconstruction of a 44-km highway linking Umm Qasr port with Basra. The current road, built in 2002, has been damage by heavy trucks transporting goods from the port to the city.
He did not specify the kind of projects the grant will be used to implement but a previous offer of $34 million was utilized to execute “six schemes”. The U.S. has poured billions of dollars into Iraqi reconstruction but the impact has been negligible due to rampant corruption and the contracting process in which up to a dozen contractors pass the project to one another with each skimming a sizeable portion.
The contracts normally land in the hands of local entrepreneurs who use their connections to centers of power in their areas to make even further financial gains from the meager allocations left for the project.
Meantime, the Danish Foreign Ministry has agreed to finance the reconstruction of a 44-km highway linking Umm Qasr port with Basra. The current road, built in 2002, has been damage by heavy trucks transporting goods from the port to the city.
Labels: Basra, reconstruction, Umm Qasr
Friday, June 29, 2007
Iraqi govt allocates $168 mn. for Al Anbar reconstruction
Reconstruction
(Iraq Directory) - Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih reports the government has allocated 210,000,000,000 (US$ 168 million) IQD to support reconstruction in the province of Al-Anbar, after its extensive destruction by terrorist and military operations.
During a meeting held in the Cabinet on Wednesday attended by a number of ministers and the Governor of Al-Anbar, as well as the United States ambassador, that "77,000,000,000 IQD of the total is allocated for economic investment projects, and the remaining 135,000,000,000 IQD is budgeted for developing the regions."
Labels: Al Anbar, Barham Salih, reconstruction
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
UNESCO to help Iraq rebuild al-Askari shrine
Reconstruction
(Reuters) - The United Nations has agreed to help Iraq rebuild the al-Askari shrine in the city of Samarra that was badly damaged in separate attacks last year and earlier this month, UNESCO said on Tuesday. A memorandum of understanding was signed in Jordan on Sunday, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said. A spokesman said $8.4 million had been budgeted for the work, of which $3 million would come from the Iraqi government with the rest coming from UN funds.
The al-Askari Mosque, also known as the Golden Mosque, one of the four major Shi'ite shrines in Iraq, was badly damaged on June 13 in an attack which destroyed two minarets that had survived an earlier attack on Feb. 22, 2006. The bombing of the mosque last year, which wrecked the shrine's famous golden dome but did not damage the minarets, was a turning point for Iraq, unleashing sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Two of the 12 revered Shi'ite imams are buried in the Samarra shrine -- Imam Ali al-Hadi, who died in 868 and his son, the 11th imam, Hasan al-Askari, who died in 874. Reconstruction work, expected to take 10 months, would begin "as soon as security conditions are guaranteed", the UNESCO statement said. No reconstruction of the shrine has taken place, partly because of disagreements between Shi'ites and Sunnis over how the work will be carried out. The Iraqi government blamed al Qaeda for the 2006 attack.
The al-Askari Mosque, also known as the Golden Mosque, one of the four major Shi'ite shrines in Iraq, was badly damaged on June 13 in an attack which destroyed two minarets that had survived an earlier attack on Feb. 22, 2006. The bombing of the mosque last year, which wrecked the shrine's famous golden dome but did not damage the minarets, was a turning point for Iraq, unleashing sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Two of the 12 revered Shi'ite imams are buried in the Samarra shrine -- Imam Ali al-Hadi, who died in 868 and his son, the 11th imam, Hasan al-Askari, who died in 874. Reconstruction work, expected to take 10 months, would begin "as soon as security conditions are guaranteed", the UNESCO statement said. No reconstruction of the shrine has taken place, partly because of disagreements between Shi'ites and Sunnis over how the work will be carried out. The Iraqi government blamed al Qaeda for the 2006 attack.
Labels: Al-Askari Mosque, reconstruction, Samarra, UNESCO
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
ECSI wins $1 mn. contract for new Iraqi Airport Program
Contracts
(MENAFN) - The President of the Electronic Control Security, Inc. (ECSI) said that the company has recently been awarded with a release of $1 million from the $3.5 million contract which was signed for the new Iraqi Airport Program, Portal Iraq reported. He mentioned that the initial $1 million release will include metal detection equipment and support services which is to be delivered within three months and is to be followed up by a $2.5 million release for passenger baggage x-ray equipment and other related services. It is noteworthy that that the ECSI company was selected for the Iraqi Airport Program due to its application of engineering and its competence for design to address entry control systems for travelers and employees at aviation entities.
Labels: Electronic Control Security, Inc., Iraqi Airport Program, reconstruction
Hill International win $23.6 mn. Iraq contract
Construction
(MENAFN) - A member of the Hill International's Construction Consultation firm announced that the group has won tasks to offer construction management support services as part of the Iraq Reconstruction Program. He further mentioned that the task orders received by the Hill group are for one year with a combined value of $23.6 million. It is noteworthy that the Hill's company has been awarded to take-part in providing assistance to the U.S. Corps in the managing of the Iraq Reconstruction Program.
(MENAFN) - A member of the Hill International's Construction Consultation firm announced that the group has won tasks to offer construction management support services as part of the Iraq Reconstruction Program. He further mentioned that the task orders received by the Hill group are for one year with a combined value of $23.6 million. It is noteworthy that the Hill's company has been awarded to take-part in providing assistance to the U.S. Corps in the managing of the Iraq Reconstruction Program.
Labels: Hill International's Construction Consultation, Iraq, reconstruction
Monday, May 21, 2007
$3 billion Karbala airport gets go-ahead
Reconstruction
(IRAQDirectory) - Final approvals have been completed for the establishment of Karbala International Airport, as announced by the Board committee of reconstruction. Abdul Al al- Yasiri, head of the city council of Karbala, said that a Cypriot-British company specializing in building aircraft, made an offer to implement this project and a Kuwaiti investor indicated willingness to finance three billion dollars for it.
The implementing company expressed its willingness to bring in the biggest planes in the world within one year of starting the project. But the Kuwaiti investor said that there will be 11 taxes imposed on the airport, and expressed willingness to provide the necessary amounts to the company implementing the insurance with the city council and enter as a partner only for one of these taxes. Mr. Abdul Al al-Yasiri, head of Karbala City Council and Mr. Mohsin Al-Kinani, member of the Committee of Transport and Communications met the Adviser to the Prime Minister, Ali Saadawi, and reviewed the steps performed by the City Council in completing Karbala International Airport and the subsequent steps to find a financier to build the airport.
Al-Yasiri demanded during the meeting that the central government allocate a sum for the completion of this project so they won't have to turn to investment companies, since this project is a vital one which will bring substantial profits to the province. Also, ideas about investment and how to transfer control of the airport were discussed during the meeting.
Labels: Abdul Al al-Yasiri, Cypriot-British company, Karbala International Airport, reconstruction
Thursday, May 17, 2007
U.S. blamed for delay in projects
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - Baghdad municipality has held U.S. troops responsible for the delay and interruption of public projects in two of the city’s low-income areas. The municipality’s chief, Saber al-Aysawi, said the U.S. engineers handling the projects “are not serious in implementing them properly and on time.”
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
Labels: al-Kamaliya, Baghdad municipality, reconstruction, Saber al-Aysawi, U.S. troops, Ubaidy
Friday, May 11, 2007
Billions of dinars in reconstruction projects start in Najaf
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - The provincial authorities in the holy city of Najaf have started scores of projects worth billions of Iraqi dinars (1 bn. Iraqi dinars = $792,110). Ahmad Duaibel of the city’s local administration said work on 81 projects had started and on completion they should improve Najaf’s infrastructure. Health, agriculture and water purification schemes are among the top priorities, Duaibel said. He said 23 projects to develop the province’s transport infrastructure were underway.
But most of these projects, he said, would only revamp those which were affected “by recent events” in Najaf. Najaf has been the scene of violent car bomb attacks as well as sporadic clashes involving rival Shiite militia groups as well U.S. occupation troops. Duaibel did not say when these projects will be completed and declined to reveal the names of the contracting firms.
But most of these projects, he said, would only revamp those which were affected “by recent events” in Najaf. Najaf has been the scene of violent car bomb attacks as well as sporadic clashes involving rival Shiite militia groups as well U.S. occupation troops. Duaibel did not say when these projects will be completed and declined to reveal the names of the contracting firms.
Labels: Ahmad Duaibel, Najaf, reconstruction
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Iran gives $1 bn to Iraq in credits for reconstruction
Reconstruction
(AP) - Iran has extended $1 billion in credits for reconstruction projects in Iraq, a senior official said Tuesday ahead of an international conference on stabilizing Iraq. Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, said a committee of experts from both countries was discussing possible development projects, including some involving energy, the state-run news agency IRNA reported.
"We are prepared for implementation of economic projects in Iraq. For this purpose, we have allocated $1 billion in credit," IRNA quoted Larijani as saying. His comments came two days before Iran joins the United States, European powers and Arab countries at a conference in Egypt to discuss a plan for stabilizing Iraq. Iran's decision to participate has raised the possibility of a rare direct encounter between high-level U.S. and Iranian officials.
But Larijani, who spoke in the Iraqi holy Shiite city of Najaf, criticized the United States on Tuesday, accusing its former ambassador to Iraq of meeting with terrorists. "We have information that the United States is holding talks with terrorists. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq talked to the leaders of these groups several months back," he said, without providing details.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, has acknowledged that U.S. and Iraqi officials talked to representatives of insurgent groups hoping to draw more Sunni groups away from al-Qaida. Current U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said last month that U.S. authorities will not talk with "terrorists," apparently distinguishing between al-Qaida in Iraq and Sunni insurgents opposed to the political process.
The U.S. has long accused Iran of providing weapons to insurgents in Iraq, a charge the country denies. Iran, a Shiite Muslim country with close ties to Iraq's majority Shiite population, says it does not allow fighters to cross into Iraq, but it does not rule out that such people might cross the long border illegally.
"We are prepared for implementation of economic projects in Iraq. For this purpose, we have allocated $1 billion in credit," IRNA quoted Larijani as saying. His comments came two days before Iran joins the United States, European powers and Arab countries at a conference in Egypt to discuss a plan for stabilizing Iraq. Iran's decision to participate has raised the possibility of a rare direct encounter between high-level U.S. and Iranian officials.
But Larijani, who spoke in the Iraqi holy Shiite city of Najaf, criticized the United States on Tuesday, accusing its former ambassador to Iraq of meeting with terrorists. "We have information that the United States is holding talks with terrorists. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq talked to the leaders of these groups several months back," he said, without providing details.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, has acknowledged that U.S. and Iraqi officials talked to representatives of insurgent groups hoping to draw more Sunni groups away from al-Qaida. Current U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said last month that U.S. authorities will not talk with "terrorists," apparently distinguishing between al-Qaida in Iraq and Sunni insurgents opposed to the political process.
The U.S. has long accused Iran of providing weapons to insurgents in Iraq, a charge the country denies. Iran, a Shiite Muslim country with close ties to Iraq's majority Shiite population, says it does not allow fighters to cross into Iraq, but it does not rule out that such people might cross the long border illegally.
Labels: Ali Larijani, Iran, Najaf, reconstruction
Monday, April 30, 2007
U.S. Iraq reconstruction effort riddled with problems
Reconstruction
(AP) - U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq are so beset with daily violence, corruption and poor maintenance that Iraqis will not be capable of managing reconstruction anytime soon, investigators say. The latest audit by the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction found that uncertainty and delays plague a U.S.-led war and rebuilding effort that has already cost nearly $400 billion.
Echoing what U.S. military commanders have acknowledged in recent days, the 210-page report being released Monday found that security remains highly volatile. Rates of attacks are lower, but attacks are more devastating, meaning greater disruption of services and public works. Corruption among Iraqi officials also appeared to be worsening. Iraq's annual financial loss now exceeds $5 billion due to fraud and abuse that "afflicts virtually every Iraqi ministry," according to the report. It cites the ministries of oil, interior and defense as the biggest offenders.
"Persistent attacks on U.S.-funded infrastructure projects and sustainment challenges could jeopardize the completion of projects by their planned end-dates of mid- to late-2008," according to the report. In a cover letter, Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr. said the Iraqi government was assuming more of the financial burden for the recovery effort, but U.S. support "will remain relatively robust for the foreseeable future."
Responding to specific portions of the audit, William Lynch, acting director of the State Department's Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, indicated that it was unfair for investigators to hold the U.S. responsible for several of the cited problems, such as maintenance issues that he said were the Iraqis' responsibility.
Among other findings:
-While targets for training and equipping Iraqi security forces have been achieved, the actual number of forces available at any given time is a concern.
-The actual number of present-for-duty soldiers is about one-half to one-third of the total because of scheduled leave, absence without leave and attrition.
-While the target training 135,000 Iraqi police was met during the quarter, there were problems in getting the police where they were needed.
---
On the Net:
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction: http://www.sigir.mil/
Echoing what U.S. military commanders have acknowledged in recent days, the 210-page report being released Monday found that security remains highly volatile. Rates of attacks are lower, but attacks are more devastating, meaning greater disruption of services and public works. Corruption among Iraqi officials also appeared to be worsening. Iraq's annual financial loss now exceeds $5 billion due to fraud and abuse that "afflicts virtually every Iraqi ministry," according to the report. It cites the ministries of oil, interior and defense as the biggest offenders.
"Persistent attacks on U.S.-funded infrastructure projects and sustainment challenges could jeopardize the completion of projects by their planned end-dates of mid- to late-2008," according to the report. In a cover letter, Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr. said the Iraqi government was assuming more of the financial burden for the recovery effort, but U.S. support "will remain relatively robust for the foreseeable future."
Responding to specific portions of the audit, William Lynch, acting director of the State Department's Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, indicated that it was unfair for investigators to hold the U.S. responsible for several of the cited problems, such as maintenance issues that he said were the Iraqis' responsibility.
Among other findings:
-While targets for training and equipping Iraqi security forces have been achieved, the actual number of forces available at any given time is a concern.
-The actual number of present-for-duty soldiers is about one-half to one-third of the total because of scheduled leave, absence without leave and attrition.
-While the target training 135,000 Iraqi police was met during the quarter, there were problems in getting the police where they were needed.
---
On the Net:
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction: http://www.sigir.mil/
Labels: corruption, Inspector General Stuart Bowen Jr., Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, reconstruction, William Lynch
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Iraq Weekly Status Report 18 April 2007
Reconstruction
Compiled by the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs - US Department of State, this is a weekly status report of developments in Iraq in key sectors such as: Security and Law Enforcement, Electricity Sector, Oil, Justice, Public Safety and Civil Society, Democracy, Education, Refugees, Human Rights, Governance, Roads, Bridges and Construction, Health Care, Transportation and
Communications, Water Resources and Sanitation and Private Sector Development.
Communications, Water Resources and Sanitation and Private Sector Development.
This report also provides weekly updates in the eight key areas identified as pillars of US government policy for victory in Iraq.
1. Defeat the Terrorists and Neutralize the Insurgents
2. Transition Iraq to Security Self-Reliance
3. Help Iraqis to Forge a National Compact for Democratic
Government
4. Help Iraq Build Government Capacity and Provide Essential
Services
5. Help Iraq Strengthen Its Economy
6. Help Iraq Strengthen the Rule of Law and Promote Civil Rights
7. Increase International Support for Iraq
8. Strengthen Public Understanding of Coalition Efforts and
Public Isolation of the Insurgents.
1. Defeat the Terrorists and Neutralize the Insurgents
2. Transition Iraq to Security Self-Reliance
3. Help Iraqis to Forge a National Compact for Democratic
Government
4. Help Iraq Build Government Capacity and Provide Essential
Services
5. Help Iraq Strengthen Its Economy
6. Help Iraq Strengthen the Rule of Law and Promote Civil Rights
7. Increase International Support for Iraq
8. Strengthen Public Understanding of Coalition Efforts and
Public Isolation of the Insurgents.
Labels: Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, reconstruction
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Australia to play bigger role in Iraq reconstruction
(AFP) - A more than two-month-old security plan for Baghdad is heading in the “right” direction despite efforts by insurgents to undermine it, Australian Defence Minister Brendon Nelson said on Saturday. Nelson’s unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital comes a day after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates wound up a two-day trip to check on the progress of the crackdown.
A number of high-profile car bombings killed more than 200 people this week in Baghdad despite the presence of some 80,000 Iraqi and US troops on the capital’s mean streets. “The security plan currently in action is going in the right direction despite the challenges,” Nelson said in his talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
A statement from Maliki’s office said Nelson pledged Australia’s ”full support” for the Iraqi government, particularly in developing the country’s dilapidated infrastructure. “Our country is intent to play a bigger role in the reconstruction drive that is currently on in Iraq,” the statement quoted Nelson as saying. Australia has around 1,400 troops in Iraq, of which 550 are combat troops and largely deployed in the south alongside British forces.
A number of high-profile car bombings killed more than 200 people this week in Baghdad despite the presence of some 80,000 Iraqi and US troops on the capital’s mean streets. “The security plan currently in action is going in the right direction despite the challenges,” Nelson said in his talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
A statement from Maliki’s office said Nelson pledged Australia’s ”full support” for the Iraqi government, particularly in developing the country’s dilapidated infrastructure. “Our country is intent to play a bigger role in the reconstruction drive that is currently on in Iraq,” the statement quoted Nelson as saying. Australia has around 1,400 troops in Iraq, of which 550 are combat troops and largely deployed in the south alongside British forces.
Labels: Australia, Brendon Nelson, Nouri Al-Maliki, reconstruction
$160 million for Basra province reconstruction
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - The government has allocated $160 million (approx. 246 billion dinars) for the reconstruction of the Province of Basra, said the head of the provincial council. Mohammed Saadoun said the council has already approved the projects that are to be implemented through the money. The province of which the city of Basra is the capital is among the most backward in Iraq, suffering from the lack of basic services like clean water, power and health.
Saadoun said the money will be spent on a variety of public service projects and will cover the whole of the province and not only the provincial center. But the money dedicated for Basra city municipality will be released immediately, he said, urging the inhabitants to cooperate to bring ‘Basra’s reconstruction to success.’
Saadoun said the money was not enough and urged the central government to funnel more resources to the province. He said the council is demanding ‘a special budget’ for Basra to be deducted directly from the country’s oil revenues. Almost all of Iraq’s current oil exports originate in the province.
Saadoun said the money will be spent on a variety of public service projects and will cover the whole of the province and not only the provincial center. But the money dedicated for Basra city municipality will be released immediately, he said, urging the inhabitants to cooperate to bring ‘Basra’s reconstruction to success.’
Saadoun said the money was not enough and urged the central government to funnel more resources to the province. He said the council is demanding ‘a special budget’ for Basra to be deducted directly from the country’s oil revenues. Almost all of Iraq’s current oil exports originate in the province.
Labels: Basra, Mohammed Saadoun, reconstruction
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Missan council invites regional and international reconstruction bids
Business, Reconstruction
(VOI) – Missan has received offers from Iraqi, Arab and foreign investors to launch projects in the oil, industrial, agricultural and service sectors in the province, an Iraqi official said on Friday. "The offers came thanks to the province's stable security conditions and investment outlets that would contribute to building infrastructures in the province that suffered from negligence for many decades," Taha al-Dayf, the chairman of the Missan investment committee, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Dayf added that the Missan local council had received investment offers from Arab and global corporations in the fields oil, power and establishment of tourist cities, referring to a company that offered bids worth 12 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly 9,436,188 million U.S. dollars) to establish vital projects to re-build the city. "There are other offers "to invest oilfields and build first-class hotels and residential compounds," said Dayf. The local council in Missan, 390 km south of Baghdad, had invited Iraqi, Arab and foreign investors to start business projects in the province namely in the service and infrastructure sectors, praising security conditions in the province compared to other Iraqi provinces.
Labels: agriculture, bids, industry, Missan, oil, reconstruction, Taha al-Dayf
Friday, March 30, 2007
$12.5 billion to be released in the form of reconstruction projects
Finance, Reconstrution
(MENAFN) - The US State Department's Senior Iraq Coordinator stated that the $12.5 billion given to Iraq should be released in the form of reconstruction projects. In his statement to the House Foreign Relations Committee, he said that Iraq needs around $4 billion in order to enable it to spend the $12.5 billion that the Iraqi government already has in its accounts, among which $3.5 billion are assigned to the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
He pointed out that the additional budget is needed to activate the former budget in order to provide most of Iraq's ministries and targeted sectors with the opportunity to maintain and establish new investments such as wells, bring new equipments like vehicles.
It is worth noting that Iraq has not spent the $12.5 billion due to the lack of mechanisms, the lack of the experience and capacity to spend funds. Therefore, the new budget comes as part of presenting the needed mechanisms and expertise to the Iraqi government in order to start utilizing the allocated funds.
(MENAFN) - The US State Department's Senior Iraq Coordinator stated that the $12.5 billion given to Iraq should be released in the form of reconstruction projects. In his statement to the House Foreign Relations Committee, he said that Iraq needs around $4 billion in order to enable it to spend the $12.5 billion that the Iraqi government already has in its accounts, among which $3.5 billion are assigned to the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
He pointed out that the additional budget is needed to activate the former budget in order to provide most of Iraq's ministries and targeted sectors with the opportunity to maintain and establish new investments such as wells, bring new equipments like vehicles.
It is worth noting that Iraq has not spent the $12.5 billion due to the lack of mechanisms, the lack of the experience and capacity to spend funds. Therefore, the new budget comes as part of presenting the needed mechanisms and expertise to the Iraqi government in order to start utilizing the allocated funds.
COMMENT: The other reason the funds have not been spent yet is because the security situation is too bad to get out on the ground and carry out reconstruction projects. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: reconstruction
World Bank loans Iraq $124 million for power plant
Finance
(Reuters) - The World Bank on Thursday approved $124 million in credit for an electricity reconstruction project in Iraq. The project aims to increase generating capacity at the Hartha power station in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the World Bank said in a statement. ‘The project will double the output of the Hartha power station from 400 megawatts to 800 megawatts, providing additional generating capacity to the national grid and benefiting household and industrial consumers,’ Tjaadra Storm van Leeuwen, the project’s Task Team Leader said.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $150 million. The bank approved an additional $6 million from a donor fund administered by the World Bank and the Iraqi government is contributing $20 million, the statement said. This is the second power rehabilitation project in Iraq to be funded by the World Bank. The lender approved $40 million in credit in December 2006 for the repair of two hydroelectric power stations in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $150 million. The bank approved an additional $6 million from a donor fund administered by the World Bank and the Iraqi government is contributing $20 million, the statement said. This is the second power rehabilitation project in Iraq to be funded by the World Bank. The lender approved $40 million in credit in December 2006 for the repair of two hydroelectric power stations in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.
Labels: Basra, Hartha power station, reconstruction, Tjaadra Storm van Leeuwen, World Bank
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Iraq unveils five year reconstruction plan
Reconstruction, International
(BBC) - Iraq's vice-president has spelled out the details of a five-year reconstruction plan at a key UN conference on the country's future. Adel Abdul-Mahdi outlined annual growth targets and a series of pledges on security, the rule of law, protecting human rights and tackling corruption. International pledges for the plan are expected next month.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged members to back the plan and not let Iraq face its problems alone.
Representatives from almost 90 countries were attending the meeting on the International Compact with Iraq, a partnership between Baghdad and donors launched last July.
Mr Abdul-Mahdi, one of two Iraqi vice-presidents, vowed to adopt legislation to share oil wealth among the regions and a scheme to give amnesty to militants who renounced violence. The plan projects economic growth of 15.4% in 2007, compared to 3% last year. It also targets 3.5m barrels a day of crude oil by 2011 - doubling the annual crude export revenue to about $50bn.
Mr Ban said the five-year plan should be seen as "a tool for unlocking Iraq's own potential". He said: "The challenges ahead are immense. I am sure you will all agree that we cannot leave Iraq on its own to cope with them. The UN plans a meeting no later than the end of April for the international response to supporting the compact.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged members to back the plan and not let Iraq face its problems alone.
Representatives from almost 90 countries were attending the meeting on the International Compact with Iraq, a partnership between Baghdad and donors launched last July.
Mr Abdul-Mahdi, one of two Iraqi vice-presidents, vowed to adopt legislation to share oil wealth among the regions and a scheme to give amnesty to militants who renounced violence. The plan projects economic growth of 15.4% in 2007, compared to 3% last year. It also targets 3.5m barrels a day of crude oil by 2011 - doubling the annual crude export revenue to about $50bn.
Mr Ban said the five-year plan should be seen as "a tool for unlocking Iraq's own potential". He said: "The challenges ahead are immense. I am sure you will all agree that we cannot leave Iraq on its own to cope with them. The UN plans a meeting no later than the end of April for the international response to supporting the compact.
Labels: Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Iraq Compact, reconstruction, U.N.
Friday, March 02, 2007
No full-time electric power in Baghdad until 2013
Reconstruction
Getting full-time electric power turned on in Baghdad, a key wartime goal toward which the United States has spent $4.2 billion dollars, won't be accomplished until the year 2013, U.S. officials said yesterday, in what others called a significant setback for the new U.S. initiatives to quell Iraq's bloody insurgency.
Power outages in the Iraqi capital are frequent, leaving residents without electricity for an average of 17 or 18 hours a day. For most residents without personal generators, that means not just no lights but dead radios and televisions, heaters, washing machines and water pumps. Army Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, the senior U.S. military officer overseeing reconstruction efforts, told reporters yesterday via video teleconference that the Iraq government plans to increase power generation "to catch up with demand" for electric power by 2013, "somewhere in around that area."
When President Bush announced in January that he was sending additional troops to Baghdad, he said the initiative must go "beyond military operations." Ordinary Iraqis, Bush said, "must see visible improvements" in their neighborhoods. Reliable electric power is only one such improvement, but it is a critical one, counterinsurgency specialists said.
Having the city regularly plunged into darkness makes it more difficult to sweep neighborhoods for insurgents and maintain security, American combat commanders have said. Continuing shortages of electricity and other vital government services also violate a key provision of the counterinsurgency strategy written by Gen. David Petraeus, the new top military commander in Iraq. That strategy dictates that a government must provide tangible benefits to its citizens in order to attract their loyalty away from the insurgents, in this case the sectarian militias at the center of Iraq's bloody conflict.
Many of the reconstruction projects are unfinished. But the power problem is the most significant to the war effort. "It's critical because electricity is a key measure of how well the government is providing for its people," said Kalev Sepp, a retired U.S. Army special forces officer and a counterinsurgency consultant to the U.S. military command in Baghdad. A key to fighting an insurgency is to convince neighborhood people to provide intelligence on insurgents, Sepp said.
Electricity generation in Iraq today is slightly below prewar levels. According to U.S. State Department data, Iraq was producing 3,958 megawatts per month before March 2003, and as of mid-February, production was running at 3,640 megawatts. Baghdad enjoyed 16 to 24 average hours of power per day, and enjoyed an average of 6.7 hours per day in December, 4.4 hours average per day in January, and 5.9 hours so far in February. American and Iraqi engineers have struggled with rickety power generating and distribution facilities and sabotage by insurgents and scavengers.
The larger problem, Walsh said, is a good-news one: that since 2003, more people are able to buy electric appliances. He said demand for electricity has risen 70 percent since 2003. "We find ourselves constantly chasing increasing demand," Walsh said. Walsh emphasized that distribution of electricity nationwide had increased, under a plan to distribute power equitably among Iraq's regions rather than concentrating it in Baghdad, as was done under the regime of Saddam Hussein. He said "much of the country" is receiving 10 to 12 hours of power a day.
Power outages in the Iraqi capital are frequent, leaving residents without electricity for an average of 17 or 18 hours a day. For most residents without personal generators, that means not just no lights but dead radios and televisions, heaters, washing machines and water pumps. Army Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, the senior U.S. military officer overseeing reconstruction efforts, told reporters yesterday via video teleconference that the Iraq government plans to increase power generation "to catch up with demand" for electric power by 2013, "somewhere in around that area."
When President Bush announced in January that he was sending additional troops to Baghdad, he said the initiative must go "beyond military operations." Ordinary Iraqis, Bush said, "must see visible improvements" in their neighborhoods. Reliable electric power is only one such improvement, but it is a critical one, counterinsurgency specialists said.
Having the city regularly plunged into darkness makes it more difficult to sweep neighborhoods for insurgents and maintain security, American combat commanders have said. Continuing shortages of electricity and other vital government services also violate a key provision of the counterinsurgency strategy written by Gen. David Petraeus, the new top military commander in Iraq. That strategy dictates that a government must provide tangible benefits to its citizens in order to attract their loyalty away from the insurgents, in this case the sectarian militias at the center of Iraq's bloody conflict.
Many of the reconstruction projects are unfinished. But the power problem is the most significant to the war effort. "It's critical because electricity is a key measure of how well the government is providing for its people," said Kalev Sepp, a retired U.S. Army special forces officer and a counterinsurgency consultant to the U.S. military command in Baghdad. A key to fighting an insurgency is to convince neighborhood people to provide intelligence on insurgents, Sepp said.
Electricity generation in Iraq today is slightly below prewar levels. According to U.S. State Department data, Iraq was producing 3,958 megawatts per month before March 2003, and as of mid-February, production was running at 3,640 megawatts. Baghdad enjoyed 16 to 24 average hours of power per day, and enjoyed an average of 6.7 hours per day in December, 4.4 hours average per day in January, and 5.9 hours so far in February. American and Iraqi engineers have struggled with rickety power generating and distribution facilities and sabotage by insurgents and scavengers.
The larger problem, Walsh said, is a good-news one: that since 2003, more people are able to buy electric appliances. He said demand for electricity has risen 70 percent since 2003. "We find ourselves constantly chasing increasing demand," Walsh said. Walsh emphasized that distribution of electricity nationwide had increased, under a plan to distribute power equitably among Iraq's regions rather than concentrating it in Baghdad, as was done under the regime of Saddam Hussein. He said "much of the country" is receiving 10 to 12 hours of power a day.
Labels: electricity, General David Petraeus, reconstruction
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Iraq aviation, electricity and security summit to be held in London
Reconstruction
(AME Info FZ LLC) Iraqi government officials will discuss security and civil aviation in Iraq at a conference in London from 28-29 March. The Iraq Aviation, Electricity and Security summit is part of a series of conferences on Iraq's reconstruction. Defence and transport ministers will also give an overview of current infrastructure rebuilding progress.
For more information: http://www.new-fields.com/iraq7/index.php
Labels: London, reconstruction, summit
