Thread: Archive News - Iraqi Dinar Think Tank - 24/01/201 - 23/07/2011

KRG financial blackout

In his quest to untangle the financial aspect of the long-running oil dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraq’s top auditor says he has gotten no cooperation from Kurdish authorities.

The KRG refuses to provide oil contracts and receipts for oil and fuel produced and sold, according to Abdul Basit Turki Sayid, president of the Board of Supreme Audit (BSA), which is Iraq’s long-standing fiduciary check on various ministries and other government entities...

http://www.iraqoilreport.com/politic...blackout-5388/

Amira al-Bakri: Iraqi investment law, a minor and must be replaced by the law of Kurdistan

Board members of the province of Babylon, and a number of specialists in the economic review of the investment law amended (No. 13) for the year 2006 and a law investment (6) of the Kurdistan region and currently in force.

Described the princess Bakri President of the Economic Commission of the Council told the future (with) that the Iraqi law, the minor and said in this respect "Iraqi law for the investment law a minor is disruptive base for each investment projects in the provinces to this he had not referred to so far of any investment project, a large and strategically. and called precordial House of Representatives to overturn the law No. (13) for the year (2006) Amended and work Law of the Kurdistan region (6), which put the economy and development form the right and provided facilities to the local foreign investors.

http://mustakbal.net/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=2304

KRG, a Model for the Middle East
By Chris Bowers, British Consul General in Erbil. This article was originally published by Rudaw, and is re-published

It has been an interesting few weeks in Kurdistan – though I think I could have safely written that each week that I have been here so far – as society and politicians have been discussing, in public and private, the boundaries of legitimate opposition in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

This is a common thread in Kurdish politics but has come into sharper focus following the uprisings across the Middle East. That said, it is clear that Tunisia and Egypt are not like KRG in many ways. Iraqi Kurds for one thing enjoy more freedom. If this is the ‘Arab Spring’ then the Kurds have already had theirs – a Kurdish Newroz? – and moved on some time ago.

But it is striking the extent to which events across the Middle East have prompted Kurdish society to look at itself. That can only be a good thing. The consensus seems to be that further reforms in governance and public services in the KRG are needed. The most encouraging aspect for an outsider is that this is being done through dialogue and debate.

The United Kingdom stands ready to help the reform process. A good, current example: the UK’s chief fire officer, Sir Ken Knight, is currently in the KRG advising the Ministry of Interior and Civil Defence teams on how to reduce fire deaths.

Watching from afar, it seems to me that people in Tunisia and Egypt are demanding accountability, fairness and the rule of law.

And that leads me to an issue of rule of law from the British perspective, and an issue that has proved controversial in the KRG, unnecessarily so, in my view: the return of failed asylum-seekers, criminals and others living illegally in the UK, to the KRG.

The first thing I want to get across is that living illegally in Britain is not an option. If the authorities in Britain find someone living illegally in Britain – be they Kurdish, Chinese, African or from wherever – the police will deal with them, but that is not the end of the matter. That person gets their day in court, the court hears them, they can appeal and then, finally, the court decides.

For us in Britain a decision by a court is final – it is a central feature of our social, political and economic life: it is the cornerstone of Britain. And so, if the court decides the person can stay, they stay. End of story. But if the court decides that they cannot stay, then the UK expects that person, again, whatever their nationality, to leave the country. Our preference is that the person does so voluntarily. And the UK helps them to do so.

But what if they refuse to leave voluntarily? Let me put it another way. What if someone came to your own house illegally and then refused to leave? Most people would be hospitable but in the end, their patience would wear thin and they would ask the authorities to remove them. That is all the UK is seeking to do.

This is particularly so with people who have been convicted of criminal offences in Britain. Are we really to think that people of whatever nationality who live illegally in the UK and then are convicted of crimes should be allowed out of prison and put back on the street, free? Would any government or citizens of any state accept that?

No, and that is why returning to their country of origin is a regular and routine part of inter-governmental relations. It happens on a daily basis throughout the world and is a standard part of international law.

But what about asylum? People have a right to claim asylum, and during the Saddam era the UK was generous and proud to give asylum and nationality to Kurds fleeing barbarity. Many have made outstanding contributions to life in the UK; they are an asset to both nations and a bridge between the KRG and UK.

But, today is a far, far cry from those days. An Iraqi Kurd who claims asylum in the UK is going to have a pretty hard time proving that they are being persecuted and in need of protection. Because, as I wrote at the beginning, the KRG is a mature society that looks at itself carefully, has a vibrant and growing economy, debates its future in public with a freedom that is a model for the rest of the Middle East, and comes to sensible conclusions. And then delivers on them.

http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/201...middle-east/2/

House of Representatives: a small meeting tomorrow to resolve the budget differences and next Sunday as the date for approval

A deputy on the mass of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, on Thursday, the House of Representatives decided to be a meeting next Sunday, "critical" in approving the general budget of the country, with Deputy coalition of state law that the Speaker and his deputies and statutory committees, finance, economics and investment as well as the heads of parliamentary blocs will meet Friday to discuss the continuation of the public budget and resolve disputes about it.

She said Rep. Precious David slain, told the Kurdish news agency (Rn) that "the Board identified on Sunday as the date crucial to approve the budget in the country." Adding that "the discussions that led to the adoption of this resolution to the business of governing and providing services and necessities to the Iraqi people."

With MP Abbas al-Bayati's (Rn) that "the President of the Council and his deputies and the committees of legal, financial, economic and investment as well as the heads of parliamentary blocs will meet on Friday to continue discussing the budget with the aim to speed up approval by early next week."

And between-Bayati said the "mini-meeting on Friday, is the first of its kind in the history of the House of Representatives under the new political system."

Al-Bayati said that "the door is open to any lawmaker from the House of Representatives to attend the meeting mini." Adding that "the meeting is the final part of the discussion in the general budget."

He pointed out that "the aim is to prepare a report and a final position of the budget before passing it on Sunday Awalatnin next week at the latest."

The government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on the sixth of this month, the cabinet approved the law of the federal budget for 2011, as amended, which amounted to 96.6 trillion dinars. As for the House of Representatives on the seventh of this month, the second reading of the budget law.

The bloc said the Sadrists (Free) (AKnews) week that past, that "about 130 deputies refused to ratify the federal budget unless it allocates part of the Iraqi people", while calling for the Chairman of the Integrity Committee in the House of Representatives earlier, the independent MP, is currently the morning Saedi, the Iraqi government to deliver 25% of oil revenues to the people directly.

http://www.aknews.com/ar/aknews/2/218896/

Sit to employees of the Central Bank in Basra to demand higher salaries

Sit dozens of employees of the Central Bank in Basra Thursday, demanding better salaries and pay them benefits similar to their counterparts in other banks.

A source in the bank to the Agency by news Thursday that associate initially staged a demonstration, and turned to open-ended sit to demand improvements in their pension, where they suffer from the disadvantage, compared to their own work and efforts is very large.

The sources said the bank's management teamed with Their demands and promised to increase it to the competent authorities to consider the Lord, because the issue of salaries and allowances centralized procedure and not a private branch of Basra.

http://radionawa.com/ar/NewsDetailN....624&LinkID=151

Iraqi Stability: A Year in Review

Iraq Business News has been shedding light on the investment climate in Iraq for a year. Over that period there have been numerous improvements in conditions. However, security has continued to play a major role in the business sector. Attacks and instability have persisted despite a significant reduction in overall violence in recent years.

Violence in Baghdad on Election Day, 2010


The Elections
In terms of security incidents and developments, several stand out over the past 12 months. The most poignant day of the year was arguably the 7th of March. A spate of attacks swept the country as citizens went to the polls to vote. Intimidation and a fear of violence caused many to doubt whether or not they should participate on the day, but by sunset a sea of hands waved ink-stained fingers in defiance of the country’s terrorist groups. Protesters today are demonstrating across the Middle East to demand an increase in reforms but Iraq already has many of these democratic standards in place.

Iraqis Vote - taken from wikipedia


Trends in Violence
It took eight months for a government to be formed and many were concerned that terrorists would take advantage of the prolonged political vacuum by initiating attacks. However, these fears were not realised, with levels of violence fluctuating and eventually reducing towards the end of December.

Weekly violence in Iraq over the past year


Casualty Figures
Fatality rates have continued to fluctuate, with peaks and troughs in the weekly figure. Fortunately there have been more troughs than peaks over recent months, although most weeks still see at least 20 fatalities which is still a high figure. Three weeks over the past year have seen more than 100 fatalities, with mass casualty attacks, often against large crowds of Shi’ah worshippers or members of the security forces remaining a tactic of choice for radical Islamist organisations.

Weekly fatalities in Iraq - last year


Radical Islamists
That said, the jihadist movements in the country have suffered a series of setbacks. Two senior al-Qaeda figures were killed in a counter-insurgency operation in Thar Thar (Salah ad-Din province) on the 19th of April. The deaths of Abu Ayub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi were confirmed by the US military using DNA testing and signalled a major blow to the Islamist movement in the central provinces. Two other al-Qaeda figures were captured in the same week, including the network’s Baghdad ruler, Manaf Abdulrahim al-Rawi (Abu Hayder), and Mahmoud Suleiman, the military commander of the organisation in Anbar province. A series of financiers and cell members were also rounded up or killed in operations throughout the rest of the year. Al-Qaeda remains a threat group of concern in Iraq but the last year is likely to prove somewhat of an annus horribilis for the organisation.

The Iraqi security forces will be on their own from the end of the year


The Year Ahead
With tentative improvements in conditions, there is still uncertainty ahead. The US military is set to withdraw by the end of the year, raising fears of a possible security gap. Ethnic tensions continue to smoulder in the northern provinces of Ninawa, Ta’mim (Kirkuk) and parts of Diyala. Baghdad will remain the focus of political attention and will likely continue to suffer terrorist attacks. Crime may also become more of an issue, as the last phase of a (currently) dying insurgency, although ongoing improvements in the security forces will likely limit the risk. Finally, civil unrest and protestation may become more of a concern. For years many Iraqis were too scared to demonstrate. The expression of political will could result in murder, but now more and more are taking to the streets. With electricity shortages likely to intensify over the coming months the demands of the have-nots may become increasingly vocal. The authorities will have to exert extensive efforts if they are to appease protester demands. Evidently, democracy is no guarantee of stability. It is fragile and needs to be nurtured if it is to have a positive impact on a country’s security.

John Drake is a senior risk consultant with AKE Group, a British private security firm working in Iraq from before 2003.

http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/201...ear-in-review/

Alwani: the problem of lack of trust between politicians accompanied the formation of the government since the 2010 elections so far

A member of the Iraqi List, Ahmed Alalloni that the problem of lack of confidence and lack of clarity of vision and lack of understanding of the meaning of democracy has a lot of politicians have accompanied the formation of a government after elections in March 2010 until now, which led to the political process to be distorted in Iraq.

And said in a statement to al-Alwani told public opinion (and babysit): "We are trying to dispel the quota system and not to make their roots within the political process." With respect to the Turkmen demand the position of Vice President of the Republic pointed out al-Alwani, "the Turkmen apolitical and a major component and active in Iraq and the political process, but this does not mean that each character or each entity must be detailed in the government of this duplication."

http://alrayy.com/17809.htm

Unlocking Iraq’s potentials: strategy and constraints
The opinions expressed here are those of the author. The author, Tariq Abdell, is an Iraq’s political risk analyst, and Founder & CEO of Mesopotamia Insight

As Iraq-business news celebrates its one year anniversary, MENA region is witnessing a fundamental political upheavals and changes, costing Mubarak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia their presidencies, as result of decades of unpopular and undemocratic policies and, most importantly, for injudiciously disenfranchising a crucial segment of their societies: their younger constituents.

Unarguably, Iraq is undergoing major socio- economic changes, among them, the formation of a new and inclusive government, following months of political horse-trading, improved security conditions due to a strong and nonsectarian Army, and surge of foreign companies and investors’ interest in Iraq’s potentials. However, Iraq’s severely languished infrastructure, lack of basic services, impoverished and disgruntle population – decades of wars and despair- could easily jeopardize its hard-earned achievements.

According to the Iraqi Institute for economic reforms, Iraq’s agricultural output had fallen from 8% to 3.5%, industrial output from 7% to 1.5%, estimated poverty rate of almost 23%, unemployment still hover above 18%, the appropriation of credit to the economy as % of GDP is 3.37 % in 2008, current power output at 6,5000 megawatts is less than half of Iraq’s needs, national debt amounts to $33 billion.

Given the aforementioned challenges, it’s an absolute imperative for the Iraqi government to devise a comprehensive and inclusive post-conflict reconstruction strategy, taking into account the aspirations of its people and current budget constraints, which estimates overall expenditure at $81.86 billion and income at $68.56 billion, leaving a shortfall of $13.3 billion. Drawing on past experiences (BRIC countries, for instance) and the support of the international agencies (IMF and WB, for instance), Such a strategy ought to:

• Create a conducive and transparent business environment, compatible with Iraq’s new constitution, that is legally and politically permissive (adoption of a new investment law, for instance), and susceptible to attract foreign capital, foster Iraq’s political capital, and reinvigorate the efficiency of its institutions . According to the world bank, Iraq ranks 166 on the ease of doing business -next to Afghanistan.
• Institute an independent and inclusive Petroleum Council — reflecting the geographic distribution of Iraq’s energy resources — that is responsible for formulating oil strategies (hydrocarbon law, for instance), deflecting the politicization of the oil sector, enforcing transparency and accountability as bulwarks against corruption , and robust enough to reign in SOC, NOC, and IOCs.
• Set a mechanism that will allow for an equitable distribution of the oil revenues and avoid the resource-rich nations’ deleterious disease, the resource war. Historically, the bulk of Iraq’s oil revenues are distributed along ethno-sectarian, political, and tribal allegiances, as opposed to inclusive and growth-oriented economic policies.
• Foster strategic partnership with the private sector and academia. For instance, GOI could seek foreign companies’ expertise to help revamp its oil sector by introducing technological know-how, the industry best practices, and foster a professionally literate workforce. With such perspicacious initiative, Iraqi government will definitely enhance its oil sector efficiency, boost production, and, eventually, spur economic recovery.
• Revive Iraq’s strategic industries(Petrochemicals, for instance) to curtail its dependence on a single commodity, fossil fuel, and, consequently, avoiding its hasty depletion. Furthermore, given Iraq’s acute electricity and water crisis, direct solar energy is by far the most abundant renewable energy source in Iraq which can be used for power generation for domestic and international markets , and seawater desalination to help alleviate southern regions water shortage.

Conversely, in the absence of a concerted and inclusive national development strategy that reflects the needs of the Iraqi people (e.g., more jobs, better wages, universal access to basic services, health care, and education) and help resuscitate the country’s weakened economy, Iraq may risk reverting to its years of lawlessness, sectarianism, and chaos, which is far worse than Egypt and Tunisia combined. Irrefutably, “A nation’ s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own, and not in what it can borrow from others.” Indira Gandhi.

http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/201...constraints-2/

Shell Gas Venture Delayed by Legal Issues

Dow Jones reports that legal difficulties could delay the $12 billion joint venture deal with Shell and Mitsubishi capture and market natural gas from Iraq’s southern oil fields, possibly for months.

The deal is a joint venture with Shell holding 44% of the project, Mitsubishi 5%, and Iraqi state South Gas Co. the remaining 51%. It aims at capturing associated natural gas produced at fields near the oil hub of Basra, including Rumaila. Production at the 25-year venture is expected to peak at 2.5 billion cubic feet a day, officials said.

“There are some legal and economic aspects in the draft deal and also old Iraqi laws need to be changed or amended to allow the implementation of the project,” Ahmed al-Shammaa, Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister, told Dow Jones Newswires in an exclusive interview.

Iraqi officials had originally intended to finalize the gas exports deal by the end of 2010. Iraqi officials are expected to meet later this week to try to work out a plan to allow exports to begin.

Shamma said that according to oil and gas law established in the Saddam Hussein era, only the State Oil Marketing Organisation, or SOMO, is allowd to export gas or crude oil. That poses a challenge to the Shell venture, even though another Iraq state entity holds a majority interest in the project. “There are officials in the ministry who think that the deal cannot be finalized under the past laws,” Shamma said.

Iraq has yet to enact a new oil and gas law which has been stalled for more than two years. The government is hoping that the new law will be enacted this year.

http://www.iraq-businessnews.com/201...-legal-issues/

Finance Committee expects to vote in parliament on the budget next week

Most likely head the Finance Committee in the Iraqi parliament, on Thursday, to vote on the budget next week, revealing a number of demands made by the National Alliance mass to support low-income groups and reduce the salaries of those with special grades, and the abolition of social benefits for the three presidencies.

He predicted Haider al-Abadi told a press conference held in the building of the Conference Palace in Baghdad, attended by "Alsumaria News", "vote on the budget next week," pointing at the same time that the "block state law made demands for inclusion in the annual budget, provides for increased allocation of network protection social, and create new job opportunities, and reduce government spending, and allocating a portion of its funds to improve the ration card items, and tighten control on the amounts spent in this area."

He called Abadi to "cancel social benefits for the three presidencies and distributed to the poor, and reducing the salaries of deputies and ministers current and retired in half," adding that "block the National Alliance in Parliament, headed by you will be prompted to allocate part of the exports of oil to the Iraqi people after the use of the basic needs of and I wanted in service projects , and the operating budget, the surplus amounts to be distributed to the people."

http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/3/17...-details-.html