Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

Iraqi Finance Minister denied Lowering Kurdistan Region Budget

The Iraqi finance minister, Bayan Jabr, denied the news alleging the reduction of Kurdistan region budget from 17 percent to 13 percent.

“This issue is related to the Iraqi political blocs’ agreement and Iraqi council of representatives.” He stated.

Today in a press conference, he also dismissed the news claiming reducing the items of foodstuff coupon, stating that “such kind of news are unfounded, some opportunists spread them around.”

“The 2008 budget is so sufficient that paves the way to provide 700 thousands job chances for the jobless of Iraq as well.” he added.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraqi Finance Minister denied Lowering Kurdistan Region Budget

Committee to re-organize KRG formed

The Head of Kurdistan Region Presidency Office, Fuad Hussein, announced that a committee is formed under the recommendation of KRG Premier, Nichervan Barzani, to re-organize the KRG.

Accordingly, today the committee held its first meeting in which the re-organization and reduction of KRG ministries were discussed. The committee is comprised of two KRG ministers, Imad Ahmad, and Karim Sinjari, and Fuad Hussein himself.

PUKmedia :: English - Committee to re-organize KRG formed

Slight increase in the demand for dollar in daily auction

Demand for the dollar was slightly higher in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Tuesday, reaching $77.155 million compared to $75.850 million on Monday.

"The demand hit $6.5 million in cash and $71.150 million in money transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at a stable exchange rate of 1,213 Iraqi dinars per dollar, same as yesterday," according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The 13 banks participating in the auction offered to sell 300,000 dollars, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,211 Iraqi dinars per dollar.

In statements to VOI, Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, said that the demand for the dollar is satisfactory stable and is as expected for this time of the year.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

Oil minister heads for Switzerland to attend Davos economic forum

Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrestani left Iraq on Tuesday afternoon headed for the small ski resort town of Davos, Switzerland, to take part in the 2008 World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

"The minister will join Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Burham Saleh, who is in Davos to take part in the forum, which will kicked off on Wednesday and will continue until next Sunday," a source from the cabinet, who asked to remain anonymous, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

"Saleh will deliver Iraq's word in the meeting, in which he will focus on the current economic and security developments in the country," he added.

For his part, the official spokesman for the Oil Ministry Essam Jihad told the VOI "after the Davos meeting, al-Shahrestani will make for Brussels to attend an Iraqi-European economic forum, where he will meet with a number of the EU officials."

"The forum, scheduled for Jan 31, will discuss a number of economic issues between Iraq and the EU," Jihad highlighted.

"The minister's multi-leg tour will end in Vienna, where he will attend the OPEC meeting next month," he also said.

Aswat Aliraq

ISX decreases by 1%

The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) index decreased by 1% on Tuesday compared to the previous session, closing at 34.960 points.

Traded shares in Tuesday's session exceeded 857 million at a total value of 1.239 billion Iraqi dinars by implementing 329 contracts.

Non-Iraqi investors participated with over 32 million shares, totaling more than 60 million Iraqi dinars by implementing 20 contracts.

According to the daily analysis of the capital market, the banking sector's index closed at 36.510 points, 0.286% lower than the previous session, while the industrial index, in which nine companies traded, ended at 11.164 points, and 0.098% lower than the previous session.

The statement concluded that 33 companies were traded in Tuesday's session out of 94 companies registered in Iraq's Stock Exchange, of which ten indexes went up, eight dropped, and 15 maintained their previous price.

Aswat Aliraq

IAF leader hints at return to government

The leader of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) said that his front may soon return to the government, noting that a meeting will take place between the front's committee and government representatives to discuss disputed issues.

In earlier statements to the International al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, IAF leader Adnan al-Duleimi revealed that his front had formed a committee of its representatives in parliament to negotiate its demands with government officials and bloc leaders.

Al-Duleimi said that the government has shown its goodwill by expressing its willingness to fulfill the front's demands, citing what he described as real efforts to release detainees from U.S. and Iraqi prisons and to involve the front in the decision-making process.

While highlighting power-sharing as the best way to manage the country's affairs, the Sunni leader said that Iraq's ministries of defense, interior and national security should undertake further cooperation and support.

The IAF, the third largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 44 out of a total 275 seats, quit the Maliki government in August 2007. Its five ministers, as well as Deputy Premier Sallam al-Zawbaie, have resigned in protest to the government's "failure to meet the demands submitted by the front.”

The IAF had given the government one week to fulfill its 11-point demands, including a general amnesty for all detainees in U.S. and Iraqi prisons, a consistent commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a halt to raids and attempts to integrate militia into the Iraqi armed forces.

The departure of the IAF, along with the Sadrist movement and the Iraqi National List (INL), from the government has negatively affected the government's performance and the Iraqi political process.

Aswat Aliraq

Presidency council: 69 laws, 64 decrees, 8 agreements in 2007

Iraq's presidency council ratified 69 laws, signed eight international pacts and agreements and issued 64 decrees during the past year, a presidential statement said.

According to the annual report issued by the Iraqi presidency's legal department on the achievements of the presidency council in 2007, the council ratified and issued 69 laws, most significantly the military penal code, and the first amendment to the retirement law and the independent Supreme Commission for Elections law, read the statement that was received by Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

The council also ratified the financial agreement between Iraq and the International Development Institution, issued 64 decrees and signed eight international pacts and agreements.

Deputy Speaker Sheikh Khaled Atiyya said during a press conference in early December 2007 that the council had approved 75 laws and repealed 34 others.

Under the Iraqi constitution, all laws passed by the parliament should be sent to the presidency council for approval. If denied or not approved within 10 days of receipt, the law has to be returned to the parliament for further debate and subsequently resubmitted to the council for approval.

Aswat Aliraq

Parliamentary committee chiefs discuss 2008 budget

Heads of the parliamentary committees discussed on Tuesday Iraq's general budget for 2008 during a meeting attended by the finance minister, a parliamentary media source said.

"Heads of the Iraqi parliament's committees discussed on Tuesday noon the 2008 budget in the presence of Minister of Finance Baqer Jabur Solagh," a source from Deputy Speaker Khaled Atiyya's office, who preferred to remain unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).
Other issues were also raised during the meeting, including ration card and childhood subsidies, the source indicated.

MP Haidar al-Abbadi from the parliament's economic committee told VOI on Monday that the budget debates were still going on.

The budget allocations for Iraq's Kurdistan region were also debated. While the parliamentary economic committee proposes a 13% budget share for Kurdistan, the regional government demands a higher share of 17%, al-Abbadi said.

The total amount of Iraq's general budget for 2008 is $47 billion.

Aswat Aliraq

Speaker says budget meeting was a success

Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani described his meeting with the heads of the parliamentary committees on the 2008 budget as a "success," saying all disputed points will be resolved in future meetings.

"Today's meeting with the heads of parliamentary committees on Iraq's general budget for 2008 was successful," Mashhadani told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

A parliamentary media source from Deputy Speaker Khaled Atiyya's office told VOI earlier today that the committees' heads discussed the general budget on Tuesday in the presence of Minister of Finance Baqer Jabur Solagh.

Other issues were also raised during the meeting, including ration card and childhood subsidies, the source indicated.

On Monday, MP Haidar al-Abbadi from the parliamentary economic committee told VOI that the budget debates were still going on.

The budget allocations for Iraq's Kurdistan region remain unresolved. While the parliamentary economic committee proposes a 13% budget share for Kurdistan, the regional government demands a higher share of 17%, al-Abbadi explained.

The total amount of Iraq's general budget for 2008 is $47 billion.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraq exports 54.5 million barrels of crude oil last month

The Iraqi oil ministry said on Tuesday that Iraq exported 54.5 million barrels of crude oil through Turkish Ceyhan port in the north and through Basra's ports in the south.

"The total amount of production rate last month reached 2.5 million barrels per day, while exports hit 1.818 million barrels," the official spokesman for the Oil Ministry Essam Jihad told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

"The exporting rate reached 1.632 million from the southern ports; Basra, Khor al-Amieya, while the exporting rate from the northern fields through Ceyhan port was 186,000 barrels per day," he explained.

"The ministry is now concentrating its efforts to raise the exporting level through Ceyhan to 300,000 barrels in the coming stage despite security and technical difficulties.

Iraq's oil exports reached 58,9 million barrels last November 2007.

Aswat Aliraq