Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 15/04/08 - 26/08/08

modified version of paragraph 24 on the Kirkuk elections,
A special document sent by some deputies of the Iraqi observatory containing a range of items to amend paragraph 24 on the elections in Kirkuk province, which is expected to prepare a special law by the Iraqi parliament voted upon at a later date, which is most important

First: Elections of the Kirkuk governorate and district and respects its after reaching a consensus on power-sharing administrative, security and public office and to start including the post of Chairman of the provincial council and governor and deputy governor of Kirkuk province between the components of a fair and balanced proportions. Finally component of a majority in the provincial council selecting one of the top three positions.

Second: to constitute a committee consisting of two representatives from each consisting of members of the House of Kirkuk province by October 1, 2008. And the Commission should seek the help of two experts from each component and representatives of parliamentary blocs and the relevant ministries for their advice and counsel. Addition to technical assistance from the United Nations. Is not inconsistent with the Commission's work Iraqi constitution, including Article 140.

The Commission submitted its report to the House of Representatives on the following matters:
A. To share power in Kirkuk as stated in the first above

B. Overruns on public and private property in the province of Kirkuk before and after April 9, 2003, the federal government to ensure correct those excesses.

.

.C. Scrutiny and review all data and records relating to the situation of population, including the voter registry and make binding recommendations in line to the Independent Electoral Commission in accordance with its findings.

D. Committee submits its report to the House of Representatives no later than December 31, 2008 by the Presidency and its follow-up to ensure the work of the Commission.
Third: Elections of the province of Kirkuk after the submission of the recommendations and findings to the House of Representatives, which according to the Chamber of Deputies will fix a date for elections and the mechanism according to this law.

Fourth: The Federal Government provides represented Mr. Prime Minister and the Kurdistan Regional Government representative Mr. President Territory Ptoveraffh security requirements, financial and administrative functions for the success of the Commission provided for in law.

Fifth: The Council will continue Kirkuk governorate in the current exercise its functions in accordance with the laws in force before the entry into force of Law No. 21 of in 2008. It remains a province of Kirkuk constitutionally stipulated as it is until the holding of elections.

Sixth: The provisions of paragraph II of Article 55 of Law No. 21 of the councils in 2008 governorate of Kirkuk.

VII. If the Commission is unable to provide a formula based presidency of the Chamber of Deputies and the federal government and with international assistance through the United Nations Pthdied appropriate conditions for holding the elections in Kirkuk, no later than December 2009

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...EsXcW1BxJ HlQ

Iraq invites energy contractors

Iraq is inviting bids from contractors to drill seven new oil wells and complete work on four natural gas wells.

The Oil Ministry says contractors have until Sept 15 to submit bids to drill in the East Baghdad oil field.

Today’s statement says bids to complete four gas wells in the Akkas gas field in western Iraq will be accepted until September 30.

Reserves in the East Baghdad oil field are estimated to be at least 5 billion barrels. Its prewar production was 50,000 barrels per day, but it has not been operational since 2003.

The Akkas gas field has estimated reserves of more than 2.15 trillion cubic feet.

Iraq’s Northern Oil Company says it will field questions from bidders at meetings in mid-August at its headquarters in the northern city of Kirkuk.

In June, the Iraqi oil minister Hussain al Shahristani announced that Iraq was inviting foreign companies to bid for long-term contracts to develop eight oil fields and two gas fields, including Akkas and those in East Baghdad.

The announcement was seen as clearing the way for major international investment in rebuilding the country’s petroleum sector.

Other oil fields available for bidding include Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna fields in the southeastern province of Basra. In the neighbouring Maysan province, on the border with Iran, the Bazargan, Abu Gharab and Fakka fields are up for bids, as well as the northern Kirkuk and Bai Hassan fields.

The two gas fields, Akkas and Mansuriyah, are respectively in western and northeastern Iraq.

Iraq invites energy contractors - The National Newspaper

Workers in Basra protest decision to replace Oil Company Chief

Thousands of workers in Iraq’s Southern Oil Company organized a two-hour sit early this week protesting a government decision to replace the company’s chief.

CEO Abduljabbar al-Aibi has been leading the company for the past four years and is credited with efforts to revamp the firm and maintain and boost output.

The company in the southern Province of Basra is responsible for gigantic oil fields which currently produce most of Iraqi oil exports.

The sit-in was called for by the Oil Workers Union.

The union’s leader, Hassan al-Assadi said the workers were determined to have the decision to move Aibi revoked.

He said when Aibi took over the company was almost in shambles.

“Aibi is an asset which should not be underestimated particularly at a critical juncture like this,” he said.

Despite Basra’s turmoil and the presence of rival, disparate and powerful militia factions, Aibi has managed to steer the company and keep crude oil flowing.

The union has sent a letter to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asking for his personal intervention.

The Oil Ministry’s order to move Aibi to Baghdad as a consultant was issued three months ago.

But the ministry is reluctant to put it into effect due to opposition from company workers who have threatened a general strike.

Assadi said he hoped the ministry has understood the message of the sit-in in which almost all company employees took part.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2008-08-06%5Ckurd.htm

Rents set to be adjusted
Lease amounts will be set accordingly under a new government plan. A regional government plan to solve housing and rental problems in Kurdistan is expected to have a twofold effect.

Setting up a system for housing rents would limit the extraordinary rise in rents and slow down the housing crisis that has been brought about by the flood of displaced Iraqi Arab families, foreign companies, and NGOs into the region. Increases in the general income level and the large dependence of universities on leasing houses as dormitories have further deepened the problem.

Shwan Sabir, who lives in a rented house, said that his monthly income is 400,000 Iraqi Dinars (approximately $340 USD) and his rent is 300,000 Iraqi Dinars ($230 USD).

"When I think of my income and rent I don't know how I can survive until the end of the month," Sabir said. "I have been in this house, which is only 80 square meters, for a year, and I was very happy at that time that I found this house since the landlord was trying to lease it to an Arab family for $600 USD."

As an effort to solve this issue, which is thought to be one of the biggest problems of Kurdistan Region's population, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has developed a plan that has already been revised and approved by the region's Parliament. The plan, which sets several standards for leasing, has moved into the implementation phase since it was published in the official Waqayei Kurdistan newspaper on July 15.

Since then, the related institutions of the government have been preparing the necessary procedures for implementing the regulations.

According to the newly amended law of housing rent, the annual lease of any property should not exceed 4% of the value of the property if it is for private household use. However, if the house is rented for commercial purposes, that is, for companies and firms, the lease could be as high as 8% of the value of the house. Out of the lease amount, the owner has to pay a 9% tax annually.

Implementation of this law is expected to have opposing effects on the current rents. Some of the rents that used to be very high are expected to fall and others that were lower are expected to increase.

The value of the house in which Sabir resides is estimated to be around $30,000 USD; therefore, its annual lease should not exceed $1,200 USD; that is, $100 USD per month. Hence, Sabir current rent is 230% higher than what it is set to be according to the new procedures.
Some renters, on the other hand, are paying less than what they are expected to pay after the new law takes effect.
Some homeowners also have problems with the lease amount and the renters.

The owner of a small store in Erbil who leased the property for 100,000 Iraqi Dinars complained that the renter neither agreed to pay higher rent nor evacuated the store.

"For 15 years now I have leased this store and I tried hard until I could increase the rent from 20,000 (ID) to 100,000 (ID), and I cannot force him out of the store or charge him a higher rent while the price of the store is around $60,000 USD," said the owner.

The government is establishing teams to investigate such issues, estimate the values of the properties, and set the lease amounts accordingly.

This difference was mainly due to the difference in demands in different locations. For example, the leases were much higher in areas more attractive to firms than other residential areas.

However, the new regulations are expected to standardize the lease amounts in all areas equally. The old contracts have two years to be updated to conform to the new law.

The law is set to function for four years, after which the situations will return to their current state again the law of demand and supply as well as lease agreements will decide the lease amount. The question is whether after these four years the lease rates will continue on the same track or return to the current semi-chaos.

Other efforts to solve the issue include building residential units and selling them to the poor at a lower price as well as giving mortgage loans for those who are building houses.

However, a problem associated with those plans is an expected increase in construction materials and costs, which makes it difficult for people to build houses with the amount of mortgage they receive, if they ever do.

Dispaly Article

Supplementary budget will revive Iraqi economy

The parliamentary approval of the supplementary budget law will help revive the Iraqi economy, activate the reconstruction process, and speed up the provision of services in the country, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary economic committee said.

"The Parliament's success in passing the draft supplementary budget law will speed up governmental efforts aimed at providing services, raising the standard of living of employees and implementing major investment projects. It will also help solve the problem of displaced persons, widows and aggrieved social elements," Younadem Kanna told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq -(VOI) by phone.

"It was impossible to end the legislative term without approving the supplementary budget," Kanna added.

Iraq's budget for the year 2008 is estimated at over $48 billion. On Wednesday, the Iraqi Parliament unanimously approved a supplementary budget of $21 billion, bringing the total for this year's budget to $70 billion, the largest in Iraq's history.

Aswat Aliraq

Report: Sadr to Disarm Mahdi Army

Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr intends to disarm his once-dominant Mahdi Army militia and remake it as a social-services organization, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The transformation would represent a significant turnaround for a group that has been one of the most destabilizing anti-American forces in Iraq.

A new brochure, obtained by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by al-Sadr's chief spokesman, Sheik Salah al-Obaidi, states that the Mahdi Army will now be guided by Shiite spirituality instead of anti-American militancy. The group will focus on education, religion and social justice, according to the brochure, which is aimed at al-Sadr's followers. The brochure also states that it "is not allowed to use arms at all," The Journal noted.

Posters have been put up in some areas of Baghdad saying a new direction for the Mahdi Army will be announced at this Friday's prayers, the paper reported.

Disarmament is far from certain, the Journal noted, writing that the group is ridden with internal strife, and that al-Sadr now is believed to spend significant time outside the country, in Iran.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Jerry O'Hara told the Journal that the military welcomed the news, but said "the proof is always in the actions and not just the words, so we'll take a wait-and-see approach."
Al-Sadr faces big challenges. The Journal wrote that hard-liners within the Mahdi Army will likely reject the new strategy, just as they have ignored his orders to freeze violent activities as part of a cease-fire. These members have also been threatening -- and assassinating -- rivals who support the cease-fire.

PUKmedia :: English - Report: Sadr to Disarm Mahdi Army

Time for Iraqis to Make Political Progress, UN Political Chief Says

Iraqis must focus on political dialogue, reconciliation and bread-and-butter economic issues now that they are seeing improved security, the top United Nations political official told the Security Council yesterday.

Briefing the Council on the latest report on the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), B. Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, warned that the security situation remains fragile and any recent gains could be lost unless they are consolidated with political progress.

“Efforts must now focus on achieving the political gains necessary to build trust and confidence across community lines, and to improve the quality of life for all Iraqis, including the delivery of basic services and generating employment,” he said.

Mr. Pascoe said the UN believed the best way to build trust was to tackle the issues “at the heart of each community’s competing visions for the future of Iraq,” such as the federal framework of the country, the handling of the status of the northern city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas and revenue-sharing agreements.

“The potential is there, and it is ultimately up to the Iraqi people to make sound choices that will allow them to build a sustainable and lasting peace.”

The Under-Secretary-General noted that discussions within the Iraqi parliament about the adoption of new electoral laws remains unresolved, although the UN was doing all it could to promote practical compromises.

“A failure to come to agreement on a law at this time would be a major setback – not only for the prospects of elections this year but for the larger process of national reconciliation in Iraq.”

The situation in Kirkuk has also become more tense and violent in the past week, in part because of the discord over the proposed electoral laws, and Mr. Pascoe stressed that the bloodshed illustrated “how the lack of dialogue and compromise could easily lead to renewed violence.”

Strengthening the Iraqi economy must also be a top priority, the Under-Secretary-General added, observing that the spike in oil prices this year has not yet translated into improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens.

“Unemployment rates remain stubbornly high, and the same governorates rate consistently low on key socio-economic indicators, such as unemployment, malnutrition and illiteracy. It is estimated that 60 per cent of Iraqis do not have access to one or more essential social services and 15 per cent lack food security.”

Ambassador Alejandro Wolff of the United States, speaking on behalf of the Multinational Force (MNF) operating in Iraq, informed the Council that for the past three months the total number of security incidents had reached their lowest level in four years.

Since June last year, overall attacks had decreased by 84 per cent and the number of civilian deaths from violence had dropped by 65 per cent. He attributed the gains to the work of both Iraqi and coalition security forces.

PUKmedia :: English - Time for Iraqis to Make Political Progress, UN Political Chief Says

KRG to Establish Chamber of Commerce in Australia

The KRG representation office in Australia decided to open a joint chamber of commerce in that country.

The decision came after the KRG representative met with the Kurdish community in Australia in a bid to further reinforce commercial relations between Australia and Kurdistan region.

The KRG Sydney office called on the kurds residing in Australia to contact the office as the candidates will be nominated out of them for that chamber.

PUKmedia :: English - KRG to Establish Chamber of Commerce in Australia

Fire continued to sabotage the oil pipeline to Turkey

A source at the Turkish Ministry of Energy that the fire is still burning Thursday in the oil pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan at a time in which the separatists Kurds responsibility for the explosion that sparked the blaze.

And caused the closure of the line after the explosion, which occurred in eastern Turkey on Tuesday to lift oil prices while the company said Bi. That my partners in the Baku line - Tbilisi - Ceyhan stopped exports due to force majeure which is exempt from the obligations of contracts.

The company spokeswoman told me. Bi Thursday that the group led by the British company to produce oil in Azerbaijan after the explosion started turning crude allocated to the Turkish port of Ceyhan to the other tracks including the port of Supsa in Georgia.

The spokeswoman for Reuters in Azerbaijan "actively studying alternative routes." She noted that some crude oil around the port of Supsa port on the Black Sea. According to the NBA. Bi and its partners have started to reduce oil production from the fields to avoid accumulating stocks offshore installations.

The spokeswoman also announced Wednesday that the group stopped the flow of oil through the pipeline after a fire destroyed one of valves in the eastern sector from Turkey.

The source said Turkish Energy Ministry who asked not to be identified to Reuters that it is expected to quench the fire on Thursday and then can assess the damage to the pipeline.

Baku pipeline - Tbilisi - Ceyhan lines among the largest in the world and pumped more than a million barrels a day from fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean represents more than one percent of world supply.

Owns me. Bi 30.1 percent from the line of Baku - Tbilisi - Indonesian Ceyhan, which leaves 25 percent. Among the other contributors, Chevron and ConocoPhillips Americas and the diaspora SHEET Norwegian Oil and Italian Eni and Total of France.

The PKK separatist responsibility for the explosion in a statement published on its website.

The explosion in a pipeline between Turkey and Iran had caused the halt of gas exports through it for five days in March in March. The PKK is responsible is often ATTACKS military targets in southeastern Turkey.

Translated version of http://www.aljeeran.net/economic.html

Demand for dollar rises in daily auction

Demand for the dollar rose in the Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) auction on Thursday, registering at $190.165 million compared to $123.550 million on Wednesday.

"The demand hit $50.125 million in cash and $123.550 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,189 Iraqi dinars per dollar, keeping the same rate for three days in row," according to the central bank's daily bulletin received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 16 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars, it noted.

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

Aswat Aliraq