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

Chamber of Industry & Commerce organizes business trips to Turkey

The Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Sulaimaniya will organize three business trips to Turkey in an attempt to facilitate the participation of traders and industry players from Iraq's Kurdistan region in international fairs and exhibitions held there, the chamber's chairman said.

"The first of the three business trips will be to the International Black Sea Fair on agriculture and foodstuff products, which will take place in Trabzon from November 16-19," Hassan Baqi Horami told Aswat al-Iraq­- Voices of Iraq­- (VOI).

"These trips aim at facilitating the participation of traders and industry players from Kurdistan in the exhibitions and fairs that will held in Turkey and updating them on the recent developments in relation to their fields of expertise," Horami explained.

"The chamber has begun registering the names of those interested in participating in the trip," Horami noted, adding that the deadline for application is October 25.

"The next trip will be to the city of Gaziantep to attend an international fair that will take place in the period October 9-12," he added.
"Meanwhile, the third trip will be to Mersin city to take part in a furniture, carpets and household items fair, scheduled from October 22-26," he added.

Established on May 11, 1967, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Sulaimaniya set up its first administrative committee on September 2, 1967.

The modern city of Sulaimaniya, 364 kilometers north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, was founded in 1748 by a Kurdish prince known as Ibrahim Pasha Baban who named it for his father Sulaiman Pasha. Since being founded as the capital of a powerful Kurdish principality it has grown to about 1,800,000 people.

Sulaimaniya, known as Zamwa prior to its founding, is the cultural center of the Sorani-speaking Kurds and an important economic centre for Iraq's Kurdistan.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraq seen abandoning most short-term oil contracts

Iraq is likely to abandon plans to sign up to $3 billion in short-term oil contracts, a U.S. diplomat said, putting in doubt deals that would give foreign oil firms their first major foothold in the country for decades.
"It appears that on present form (the Iraqi government) probably won't proceed with most of these or all of them," Charles Ries, coordinator for Iraq's economic transition at the U.S. embassy, told reporters in Baghdad on Sunday.

"But I think that some of the companies are open to continued discussions even on relationship grounds, and some of the companies ... don't think it's worth their time."

Iraq has been negotiating six no-bid, short-term technical support contracts with international oil firms, worth about $500 million each, which are aimed at quickly boosting production by a combined 500,000 barrels a day.

Like most oil-rich countries in the region, Iraq nationalised its oil industry in the 1970s. War and political instability have so far prevented international oil companies from returning since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is hoping to sign a host of new oil deals by next year that would provide global oil companies their first major commercial access to the OPEC member's fields in nearly four decades.

The first phase would have been the short-term deals, which should have been signed earlier this year but have been delayed in part due to disagreement over payment terms.

The deals involve Royal Dutch Shell; Shell in partnership with BHP Billiton; BP; Exxon Mobil; Chevron with Total; and a consortium of smaller firms Anadarko, Vitol and Dome.

Ries said Anadarko and some of its partners had already walked away from talks over their deal, the first to apparently fall through.

He said the foreign firms were at best lukewarm to the idea of the short-term contracts which "were never going to be hugely lucrative," but some had been pursuing them in the hope of building a long-term relationship with Iraq's Oil Ministry.

The deals had also been criticised at home and abroad because they lacked competitive tenders, Ries said.

Oil Ministry officials, who have voiced frustration over the delays, were not immediately available for comment.

The short-term contracts were to be followed by far more valuable longer-term development contracts, for which dozens of foreign energy firms are expected to bid.

As the June 2009 deadline for finalizing those long-term contracts approaches, it has appeared more likely that the short-term bridge contracts could be discarded.

Iraqi officials have insisted they would not give preferential treatment in bids for long-term contracts to companies that participated in the short term deals.

YEARS OF DECAY

Iraq has proven reserves of 115 billion barrels, the world's third largest, but its production has been hurt by decades of sanctions and war. Maliki's U.S.-backed government is now looking to quickly boost its output with new investment.

Iraq now exports about 2 million barrels of oil per day, roughly the same amount as before the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Oil is not just the lifeblood of Iraq's economy -- providing 70 percent of GDP and over 90 percent of export earnings -- it will also be the engine for rebuilding its shattered infrastructure and providing desperately needed basic services.

Yet political feuding has hindered passage of an oil law needed to divvy up Iraq's vast oil wealth and allow bigger investment from foreign firms.

A draft version of the law was passed by the cabinet in early 2007, but since then the measure has been mired in disputes, such as a debate between Baghdad and the northern autonomous Kurdish region over who will control reserves there.

Ries declined to speculate when the law, which he described as a "a major political challenge, not a technocratic question", might finally be passed.

"The process of moving from a state-controlled sector to a sector that is a mixed one, allowing for participation for foreign investors in some form or fashion, has been slower and more halting than we would have liked," he said.

Yet Ries painted a brighter picture overall of the Iraqi economy's lumbering steps toward stability.

He said core inflation, which is still a relatively high around 12 to 15 percent, had been reduced substantially, and that the economy was on track for "solid growth" in 2008.

But he said the government must improve its ability to spend budgeted money on capital projects and other necessities and needs to do more to diversify the economy and reduce corruption.

Iraq seen abandoning most short-term oil contracts - Forbes.com

DNO says no output from Iraq oilfield in August

Norwegian oil firm DNO said on Monday it would get no oil from its Tawke field in north Iraq as the Kurdistan regional authorities have put production on hold during a review of licensing and other procedures.

"According to (the Kurdistan Regional Government) it is expected that these formalities will be completed during August, with oil production resuming by late August/early September," DNO International ASA said in a statement.

DNO's production from the Tawke field was 11,191 barrels per day in July, DNO said.

The halt to oil production for the regional market partly affected production in July, DNO said and added: "Based on the timing indicated by the KRG there will be no production from Tawke in August."

DNO said its total production from Tawke and its fields in Yemen fell to 20,584 barrels per day in July from a peak of 22,545 bpd in June.

DNO says no output from Iraq oilfield in August | Industries | Energy | Reuters&

Gulf Keystone Hires Weatherford Rig to Drill Wells in Iraq

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd., the Bermuda-based company that explores for oil and gas in Algeria and the Middle East, contracted a rig from Weatherford Drilling International Ltd. to drill wells in Iraq's Kurdistan.

The contract is for a minimum of two wells and three optional wells, the company said today in a statement distributed by the Regulatory News Service. The first well will be drilled in early 2009 in the Shaikan Block.

Bloomberg.com: Energy

Iraq requests help a number of Arab countries on the American Convention

The head of the National Centre for Information in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ali al-Musawi, Iraq has the fundamentals of specific national sovereignty over all its territory and territorial waters can not be waived when talking about any security agreement with the United States.

Musawi stressed in a press statement from Cairo today, Monday, dissemination, that will be disclosed on any agreement reached, stressing that no confidential items will not be disclosed if it had been reached to that convention security Foremost among those constants not accepting any military bases Standing on its territory.

He disclosed that the Iraqi delegation Musawi negotiator requested technical assistance and gain experience to put items at conventions visits to a number of Arab countries that have already concluded similar agreements with the United States, but officials in those countries refused to inform the delegation on the terms of those agreements.

Translated version of http://www.radiodijla.com/cgi-bin/news/news_item.pl?id=2008-08-18%2009:03:03

Skinner: this year will be the last to the presence of the multinational force

Spokesman said the Iraqi government to Skinner, "The current year will be the last to the presence of the multinational force, after the completion of the Agreement on Security Agreement with the United States, which would allow U.S. troops only presence on Iraqi territory, according to regulations and standards, according to the requirements of the security situation in The country. "

And Skinner at a press conference held amid guarded Green Zone of Baghdad, attended by "Uzmatik", that "many points in the Convention Iraqi security had reached agreement with the American side," pointing to the existence of some points tacit facing some objections, which he said that "Iraqi government to seek continued negotiated under the framework of the constitution and the consent of all political blocs in the country.

Skinner emphasized "that Iraq is not obliged to inform any of the neighboring countries or territory, any of the specific issues, and the only concern the Iraqi government because they familiarized them with terms of the agreement and security is the Iraqi people, as the holder the right to know the details of the Convention, which the government hopes, to understand Iraqis future directions of the country, which proved it. "

Skinner described the Iraqi negotiators "Good, who is trying the Iraqi government through them, maintaining Iraq's sovereignty, unity, and reaffirmed its commitment to national principles that are installed in the Security Agreement with the United States."

The three parliamentary blocs are common coalition and Iraqi Accord Front, the trend showed angina refusal to sign the agreements between the long-term security of Iraq and the United States of America, the presence of paragraphs where much of Iraqi sovereignty, according to the bloc itself.

The spokesman for the Iraqi government "targeting any party whatsoever of a multinational force, pursuant to fall under the threat of terrorism, and gives the right for the Government to respond to them as they deem appropriate, so as to ensure the security situation in the country."

It is noteworthy that the declaration of principles was signed between Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and U.S. President George W. Bush last December includes security guarantees and commitments towards the Republic of Iraq was supposedly signed by the parties last July agreed to enter into force early January of next year, but differences Between Iraqi and American sides delayed the conclusion of the agreement between the two sides.

Translated version of http://iraqalaan.com/

Higher demand for the dollar on Mon

Demand for the dollar was higher in the Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) auction on Monday, registering at $76.910 million compared to $26.330 million on Sunday.

"The demand hit $9.4 million in cash and $67.510 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,187 Iraqi dinars per dollar," an official source from the bank told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The 14 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell $14 million, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1.185 Iraqi dinars per dollar, the source added.

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

Aswat Aliraq

5.3-million deal between Kurdistan, Jordanian company

The government of Kurdistan province signed a $5.3-million agreement with Jordanian Price WaterHouse Coopers to develop the Information Technology strategy in the province within a 2-year contract, the stat-run al-Raay newspaper said.

"Kurdish Prime Minister Negervan Barazani expressed his belief with the importance of the project as the IT and communication represent strategic elements for the development of the region," the Jordanian paper said.

The newspaper quoted the main partner of the Price WaterHouse Coopers, Fathi Saleh Ali, as saying that "the importance of the project is to put and implement strategic plans for three governmental bodies to develop the IT system in these bodies."

Aswat Aliraq

Finance Ministry released 2007 delayed funds to improve Basra marshes

A member of the Basra marshes improvement committee on Monday said that the Iraqi Ministry of Finance released the delayed funds from 2007 that will be used to ****ute different projects in Basra's marshes.

"The Ministry of Finance on Monday released 45 billion Iraqi dinars (around $37.5 million) that represent the delayed funds from 2007 to improve Basra's marshes," Hamid al-Dhalimi told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

"Those funds will be used to commence 60 different projects in Basra's marshes, in irrigation, potable water, roads, and education," he said.
Another 50 million U.S. dollars were allocated for Basra's marshes, according to the 2008 budget.

Basra, the oil rich city, lies 590 km south of Baghdad.

Aswat Aliraq

A workshop for businessmen in Basra

The reconstruction team Basrah governorate in addition to the joint leadership of the contracts, the regional centre of Basra decades, the convening of a conference as a training workshop for businessmen and contractors in Basra. The conference on August 12, 2008 training on how to obtain construction contracts from the U.S. Army Corps engineers and the leadership of joint contracts - Basra, according to Maj. Daniel George, engineer with the Southern Section of the Task Gulf region of the U.S. Army Corps engineers. The contractor has received about 95 Iraqis representing more than 75 companies in the governorate of Basra guidance helps them to understand the contracting process in place for granting new contracts, which revolve around improving services to the Iraqis.

For his part, welcomed the official engagements at the centre of the contracts involved in Basra, Lieutenant Colonel James Kemper contractors in a "conference of business development first and not last," as he put it, also thanked the Kemper Basra Airport director of the annex made available to embrace a training session which lasted one day.

The Kemper that "the objective of the development of this business is to provide training for the registration of contracts for Iraqi contractors and teach them how to obtain the commercial opportunities offered by the joint leadership of contracts and contracts for Basra regional centre and southern part of the task the Gulf region, and included training on creating contractors to submit bids as well On how to evaluate the offers. "

He added that "there is an obvious difference in the type of offers by contractors who receive this type of training versus those who did not have this opportunity. Contractors become more competitive."

According to Kemper, this makes the training of business owners and business leaders of the Iraqi activists in their industries and society together. For decades they have taken part in a powerful and positive influence in supporting the Iraqi economy.

For his part, said director of a company in Basra "prepared the day one of the most important activities, we have signed earlier in a lot of mistakes in the bidding," We did not know nothing about them, but we now are able to avoid those mistakes to win rivalry and the implementation of more projects to contribute to the building Our country. "

In turn, said a representative of the construction company, "we get useful guidance of high value will help us to make a successful bid." George said it is very important that contractors understand how the U.S. Army Corps engineers to assess offers based on the technical capabilities and past achievements, will ask why they did what degree of proficiency to work. He added that the Corps engineers wanted to know how contractors are calendar, "and therefore will have to provide all documentation required to build the calendar."

He explained that the education of local contractors to bid ways to the American side develops the ability to win a contract, which would increase employment in the province.

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107