Iraqi Media Report on Economic Issues, Government Plans

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Iraqi Media Report on Economic Issues, Government Plans
Iraqi Media Report on Economic Issues, Government Plans

World News Connection
Mar 19 2005




Iraqi media have been extensively reporting on economic issues and problems facing Iraq in the fields of transportation, energy, ports, communications, and water, among other economic issues. Iraqi newspapers have been focusing on these issues, outlining the problems and how to solve them, and soliciting viewpoints by experts and trying to explain to the public the situation of public services.

Baghdad Al-Ahali in Arabic, liberal, independent weekly, carries on the front page of its 8 March issue a report saying that the Baghdad Municipality has allocated several projects in Baghdad to Arab and Iraqi companies after earmarking the necessary funds for their implementation. A Baghdad Municipality official says the projects include building several crossroads in Al-Baya, another in Al-Dabbash in addition to building five municipal centers in Al-Karkh.

Baghdad Al-Dustur in Arabic, independent daily, carries a report on page 2 of its 8 March issue citing Iraqi Planning Minister Dr Mahdi al-Hafiz as saying that 17 donor countries pledged to offer the World Bank Fund for Iraq $398 million. The report adds that 15 countries paid the sum of $386 and lists the names of the 17 countries and the sums they donated.

Baghdad Al-Adalah in Arabic, daily issued by the Justice House of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, carries a report on page 2 of its 8 March issue citing the Iraqi minister of immigration and displaced persons as saying that the donor countries have given the ministry the necessary funds to build 700 housing units throughout Iraq.

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Baghdad Al-Mu'tamar in Arabic, issued by the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmad Chalabi, carries a front page report in its 8 March issue citing the director of the Water Resources Department in Al-Najaf as saying that his ministry prepared a plan for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the irrigation projects in the governorate and the reclamation of 87,200 donums in the Bahr al-Najaf area.

Baghdad Al-Da'wah in Arabic, issued by the Islamic Da'wah Party, Iraq Organization, carries a report on page 2 of its 8 March issue citing Engineer Makram Sa'id, director of maintenance and construction in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, as saying that the ministry has decided to repair or maintain all its buildings in Baghdad and the other governorates at a cost of $10 billon.

Baghdad Tariq al-Sha'b in Arabic, political and cultural weekly of the Iraqi Communist Party, carries a report on page 2 of its 8 March issue citing Iraqi higher education minister as saying that the ministry will receive 25 million dinar a month to carry out construction projects affiliated with the ministry, adding that the ministry will start work on 288 projects, including new colleges, laboratories, dormitories, and housing for university professors.

Baghdad Al-Dustur in Arabic carries on page 5 of its 8 March issue a report citing the Iraqi Water Resources minister as saying that contracts were finalized with the World Bank concerning the water projects worth $20 billion the bank will administer in Iraq on behalf of the donor countries. The minister said that these projects include among others maintenance of dams for the sum of $2.5 million and operating and maintaining irrigation projects throughout Iraq for $1.5 million.

Baghdad Al-Mashriq in Arabic, an independent political daily, carries on page 4 of its 8 March issue a report citing an Agriculture Ministry official source as telling the newspaper that his ministry plans to give loans of up to five million Iraqi dinars to farmers who are managing small scale projects

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Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic, independent daily, carries on page 3 of its 8 March issue a report saying that the general company for passenger transportation started in cooperation with one of the Turkish companies to operate the international transport line between Zakho and Istanbul.

Baghdad Al-Nahdah in Arabic, daily affiliated with the Iraqi Independent Democrats Grouping, led by Adnan Pachachi, carries on page 4 of its 8 March issue a report saying that the minister of labor and social affairs announced that the ministry will build 400 centers for the homeless people in Baghdad.

Al-Sulaymaniyah Kurdistani Nuwe in Sorani Kurdish 8 March carries a report saying "the deputy prime minister of the [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK-led] regional government, Imad Ahmad, yesterday, met a delegation from the Russian Internergoservis company. The deputy prime minister welcomed them and pointed out that: "Reviving the economic infrastructure of Kurdistan region is now at the top of the agenda of the Kurdistan regional government. In this context, the regional government is attaching importance to repairing the electricity supply and roads, and developing agriculture. To implement this program, foreign companies' cooperation will be needed." The two sides discussed the Russian proposal for repairing and developing Dukan and Darbandikhan dams. (GMP20050311000133)

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries on page 15 of its 9 March issue a tender announcement in English by the General Directorate for Dams and Reservoirs of the Water Resources Ministry soliciting bids for supplying drilling rigs from well known companies according to specifications documents.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries a front page report saying that the Ministry of Agriculture has accepted requests for loans to fund agricultural projects. The loans are limited to 5 million dinars each and around 4472 farmers have benefited from this step so far.

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Baghdad Al-Ahali in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 9 March issue a report saying that the General Iraqi Ports Corporation has completed the reconstruction and repair work on the most important sectors of operations of the corporation in Umm Qasr Port that were destroyed in the recent war in 2003. A corporation source said that the waterways leading to the port have been cleaned and all sunken debris in the Shatt al-Arab waterways leading to Umm Qasr and Khowr al-Zubayr ports have been removed. The source added that four piers for containers were built and maintenance work was carried on pier no 10 in Umm Qast Port. A report published on page 9 of Al-Adalah issue dated 9 March says that the Mirsk Company that had been administering the Khowr al-Zubayr Port since the collapse of the former regime has handed the management of the port to the General Iraqi Ports Corporation last week.

Baghdad Tariq al-Sha'b in Arabic carries on page 4 of its 9 March issue an interview with Jawad Idan Du'aybil, director of Al-Najaf Sewer Office, who says that the existing sewage network in Al-Najaf can handle only 15 percent of the city's sewage.

Baghdad Al-Nahdah in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 9 March issue a report citing Dhi Qar Deputy Governor Abbas Jabir al-Musawi as saying that the Iraq Construction Council allocated $75 million for the reconstruction of the Dhi Qar Governorate, which according to him is a small budget that would not suffice to finance the various planned development projects in the governorate.

Baghdad al-Adalah in Arabic carries on page 6 of its 9 March issue a report saying that the Ministry of Oil signed contracts with Indian and German companies specialized in the manufacturing of oil pipelines to transport gas from Basra to Al-Nasiriyah and from there to Al-Mussayab at a cost of $50 million.

Baghdad Al-Zawra in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 9 March issue a tender announcement in English by the General Directorate for Dams and Reservoirs soliciting bids for the supply of Centrifugal Horizontal Pumps for Badush Dam. The same paper on the same day carries another tender announcement by the General Directorate for Dams and Reservoirs soliciting bids for the supply of drilling rigs from well known companies for the Hadithah Dam project.

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Baghdad Al-Bayan in Arabic, daily published by the Islamic Da'wah Party, carries a front page report in its 9 March issue citing an official source at the Oil Ministry criticizing the officials at the Electricity and Industry Ministries who hold the Oil Ministry responsible for the continuous electricity outage and low cement production rates, affirming that the oil ministry continues to supply the all Iraqi ministries with oil.

Baghdad Al-Mashriq in Arabic carries on page 5 of its 9 March issue a report saying that air transportation between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates is witnessing a boom due to developing economic relations between the two countries.

Baghdad Al-Furat in Arabic, political daily issued temporarily on a weekly basis, carries on page 2 of its 9 March issue a report quoting Oil Ministry Under secretary Ahmad al-Shama as saying that the sum of $180 million was allocated to fund two contracts signed with Indian and Dutch companies to rehabilitate several gas stations.

Baghdad Al-Dustur in Arabic carries on page 4 of its 9 March issue a report saying that the General Department of Water Resources is carrying out the Mahrut irrigation project in Diyalah, seeking to improve the efficiency and productivity of land.

Baghdad Al-Dustur in Arabic carries on page 4 of its 9 March issue a report citing Water Resources Ministry source as saying that the ministry is carrying out Kirkuk's irrigation project in Al-Duz District at a cost of approximately 2.2 billion Iraqi dinars.

Baghdad Al-Dustur in Arabic carries on page 5 of its 9 March issue a report saying that the minister of housing and construction in the Kurdistan region signed a contact with a Turkish company to build apartments in Arbil.

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Baghdad Al-Nahdah in Arabic carries on page 5 of its 9 March issue statements by Layla Abd-al-Latif, minister of labor and social affairs and head of the committee in charge of the reconstruction of Al-Sadr City, on the impediments to the implementation of the projects in Al-Sadr City. The minister says" the delay in the release of the funds allocated for the construction of the city and the long time that the procedure for announcing tenders takes obstructs the progress of work. Abd-al-Latif informed the newspaper that some of the projects that will be implemented in Al-Sadr City's reconstruction campaign require suitable and specific site locations, a matter that requires the approval of the Baghdad mayoralty and other competent offices. In addition to that, the designs of these projects have to be completed in order to start to work on them." (GMP20050309000231)

Baghdad Al-Mu'tamar in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 10 March issue a report on the project of pumping drinking water from Al-Karkh to Al-Karradah area in Baghdad at a cost of $375.000.

Arbil Peyamner web site in Sorani Kurdish on 10 March reports that "the Arbil international airport has been shut down for an unspecified period by the US Commission on Aviation due to landing and departure shortcomings. Flights that were scheduled for the coming few days have been cancelled. GMP20050310000132

Baghdad Al-Mu'tamar in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 10 March issue a report citing Engineer Khalid Ibrahim, director general of the Baghdad Water Department, as saying that "the Baghdad Municipality is currently implementing the new water purification plant in Al-Sadr city" adding that "the production capacity of this plant will be 125,000 cubic meters per hour and will solve the water crisis in the city once completed."

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Baghdad Al-Manar al-Yawm in Arabic, independent daily, carries on page 7 of its 10 March issue a tender announcement in English by the State Directorate of Execution of Irrigation and Reclamation projects soliciting bids "for additional treatment and painting works with Iboxi for main out full pump station in al-Nassyria Governorate."

Baghdad Al-Da'wah in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 10 March issue a report citing the Deputy Karbala governor as saying that "the services departments in the Karbala Governorate have completed many projects in the field of water, sewage, and municipal services in the governorate" and that "a development plan approved by the Higher Reconstruction Committee at the Prime Ministry covers more than 200 projects including road pavement, building water reservoirs, and building a bridge on the Euphrates in Al-Hindiyah sub district."

Baghdad Al-Zaman in Arabic, Baghdad-based independent Iraqi daily providing coverage of Iraqi, Arab, and international issues, headed by Iraqi journalist Sa'd al-Bazzaz, carries on page 3 of its 10 March issue a report citing official at Diyalah Maintenance Power Station as saying that 20 new generators were installed in several neighborhoods to improve electricity in Diyalah Governorate.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic, independent daily, carries on page 15 of its 12 March issue a tender announcement by the General Establishment for Tyre Production, an affiliate of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, soliciting bids for the purchase of 280 tonnes of raw and chemical materials in accordance with the Iraqi-Turkish agreement.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries on page 15 of its 12 March issue a tender announcement by the Education Ministry soliciting 15 bids for the rehabilitation of schools in Baghdad and the Iraqi governorates. The tender announcement carries the names of the schools and their locations.

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Baghdad Al-Furat in Arabic carries on page 3 of its 12 March issue a report citing a Turkish electricity company official as saying that his company has signed a contract with the Iraqi Electricity Ministry to increase the 150 to 200 megawatts of electricity that is currently supplied to Iraq to 1,000 megawatts in six months.

Baghdad Al-Adalah in Arabic carries on page 3 of its 12 March issue a report citing Hasan Radi Farhud, director of the Dhi Qar Water Department, as saying that his department is currently cooperating with a US company to implement "the unified Al-Nasiriyah water project with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters per hour" and that the project will provide water to Al-Shatrah, Al-Diwaniyah, Al-Gharaf, Al-Nasiriyah, and Suk al-Shuyukh cities."

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries a front page report in its 12 March issue saying that the "International Financing Corporation, a World Bank affiliate specialized in loans to the private sector, will purchase a share in the Iraqi Investment Bank." The report adds that this step "is a necessary move to reactivate the Iraqi banking sector."

Baghdad Al-Adalah in Arabic carries on page 8 of its 12 March issue a report saying that the Directorate for Operations and Maintenance of Irrigation Projects has started maintenance and rehabilitation work on the pumping stations on the Euphrates and Tigris basins at a cost of 2 billion dinars.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries on page 8 of its 12 March issue a report citing Ata Nabil Husayn, Transport Ministry under secretary, as saying that there is a plan to regroup all the Iraqi companies for overland and passenger transport into 20 cooperative companies where the shares will be owned by those working in these companies.

Baghdad Al-Mashriq in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 12 March issue a report saying that Iraq needs 3,500 tons of gas, while actual production is 1,800 tons due to looting and saboteur acts after the collapse of the former regime

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Baghdad Al-Bayan in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 12 March issue a report citing the Water Resources minister as saying that Italian experts specialized in water resources will participate in carrying out some projects, especially those in the marshes.

Baghdad Al-Bayan in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 12 March issue carries a report by the Public Works Ministry saying that the ministry carried out a project to construct drainage ditches for underground water in Hit at an approximate cost of 184 million Iraqi dinars.

Baghdad Al-Ufuq in Arabic, political daily issued by the Al-Ufuq Cultural Foundation, carries a front page report in its 12 March issue citing a source in the Housing Fund of the Construction and Housing Ministry as saying that the fund gave 18-million dinars in interest-free loans to people who own land.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 13 March issue a report saying that "the Water Resources Directorate in Karbala completed several modern irrigation projects, including the Al-Rashidiyah project that will irrigate approximately 19,000 donums of orchards and 20,000 donums of agricultural land."

Baghdad Al-Nahdah in Arabic carries a front page report in its 13 March issue citing Electricity Minister Dr Ayham al-Samarra'i affirming that following the huge efforts exerted by the ministry, the electricity supply in Iraq is now 5,000 megawatts, adding that his ministry will increase Iraq's electricity supply by an additional 1,500 megawatts, thus the people will have electricity for 18 hours a day.

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Baghdad Al-Furat in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 13 March issue a report stating that Al-Najaf local council received two million Kuwaiti dinars as a gift from the Kuwait Government to rebuild Al-Najaf.

Manama Gulf Daily News (Internet Version-WWW) in English on 13 March carries a report citing Iraqi Deputy Oil Minister Ahmed al-Shamma inviting regional and international companies to look at opportunities available in his country, calling the current period a new era for investment. "There is a need to drill 200 new wells this year to maintain Iraq's 3.6 million barrels per day production of oil," said Mr al-Shamma. "There are also 13 storage tanks which need rehabilitation. Export facilities in the Gulf must also be upgraded and expanded Two gas fields are to be developed soon and they will be followed by two others later." (GMP20050314000004)

Baghdad Al-Mashriq in Arabic carries a front page report in its 13 March issue saying that Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt have agreed to provide the western area of Iraq with power through a special network under construction while Cairo MENA in English at 1504 GMT on 12 March reports "Jordan and Egypt have pledged to supply western Iraq with electricity, dpa quoting the Director General of Jordan's National Electricity Company Ahmad Hyaissat said Saturday." The report adds that "a 132-kilovolt, 200-kilometre line will be set up to connect Jordan's border Risheh power plant and the Okashat area in Western Iraq." (GMP20050312000139)

Baghdad Al-Sharqiyah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic at 1400 GMT on 14 March says: "Iraqi northern oil exports will resume next Friday [18 March] after the completion of the repairs of the Iraqi-Turkish oil pipeline which were delayed because of the torrential rains. An oil official said that the work was delayed last week because the rains flooded Al-Fathah region in the northern region where the oil pipeline - which is the only outlet for about 250,000 b/d from Kirkuk's crude oil available for export through the Turkish port of Jihan - was attacked. The oil pipeline which arrives to Jihan port has remained out of service during most of the past two years because of the repeated sabotage attacks." (GMP20050314000190

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Salah-al-Din Kurdistan Satellite TV in Sorani in Kurdish at 1130 GMT on 14 March reports that "the minister of agriculture and irrigation in the [Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP-led] Kurdistan regional government, Azad Izz-al-Din, has received the British consul-general in Kirkuk, Dr Noel Guckian. The meeting discussed the securing and offering of aid by the donor countries to complete the Bekhma dam, Duhok dam, Shamamik water network and other projects. (GMP20050314000174)

Baghdad Al-Mu'tamar in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 14 March issue a report citing Zafir Abd-al-Husayn, managing director of the Water Wells Digging Directorate, as saying that 18 billion Iraqi dinars were allocated for his directorate this year for plans to expand its work to provide underground water for human consumption and agriculture in the regions that lack surface water resources.

Baghdad Al-Mada in Arabic carries on page 2 of its 14 March issue a report saying that the Northern Railwayc Station has resumed work after a 4-month hiatus due to "violence." The first trip was between Mosul and Rabi'a.

Baghdad Al-Nahdah in Arabic carries on page 6 of its 14 March issue a report stating that Iraqi businessmen will implement the largest power project in Iraq and Arab countries adopted by the private sector. The four-unit power station will produce 150 megawatts per unit for a total production of up to 600 megawatts.

Baghdad Al-Ufuq in Arabic carries on page 4 of its 14 March issue a report citing Transportation Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim as saying that the ministry started to install wireless telephone networks in Al-Najaf. This project is implemented by a Chinese company.

Baghdad Al-Mashriq in Arabic carries on page 5 of its 14 March issue a report saying that the Water Resources Ministry will implement a project to provide drinking water for the Iraqi desert in Al-Anbar, Karbala, Al-Nasiriyah, and Basrah.