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

Originally Posted by Dinar Cha Ching

I'm curious how Intel will be paid for setting this up. They might insist on dollars for the infrastructure but it will have to get paid in dinars from individuals who use their internet service. Intel will have to keep it cheap enough for Iraqi's to afford but they will have to convert the dinars to dollars to bring the profits home.

How can it be affordable for Iraqi's and profitable for Intel when the dinar exchange rate is just fractions of a penny to the dollar?

Rhetorical question... we know the answer.

Here's a bit more on it - bit vague though

Iraq conducts huge technological project

Senior official and legislative delegation begins a visit to UK at next week to discuss political, economic and security developments with British and American officials as well as ****uting huge technological project throughout country by cooperation with Intel Company to provide PC set and Internet service for each Iraqi house.

Speaker's advisor, Intisar Alawi, said that the legislative delegation will leave country on June 6th to take part at workshop and holding talks with Intel to carry out this strategic project that named "PC and internet for each Iraqi house".

Alawi added that the project's aim to develop the technology's using at all fields, as the American company will provide all technical issues and selling the PCs and internet service at suitable prices and by installments for the Iraqis as the Iraqi Govt. will provide moral support.

Iraq conducts huge technological project | Iraq Updates

Iraq's Kurds to make fresh proposals on Oil Law

Baghdad will receive fresh proposals on the federal oil law, the Kurdish regional government said on Tuesday.

At a press conference in Dubai, Prime Minister Barzani said: "Very soon, about two weeks from now, we will start negotiations to finalise the agreement".

The sides will also discuss revenue sharing, the oil ministry and national oil company, he added.

Barzani will hold talks on the halt of exports to international oil companies which signed deals with the region. Baghdad claimed the deals were illegal.

He said the region will not export oil without seeking consent from Baghdad. "We are not selling oil to anybody," he said.

Kurdistan and Baghdad have delayed drafting the law for over a year.

Gulfnews: Iraq's Kurds to make fresh proposals on oil law

Originally Posted by Seaview

He said the region will not export oil without seeking consent from Baghdad. "We are not selling oil to anybody," he said.
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I trust, he meant, NOT JUST anybody out there on the open market....

And another.......

Kurdish region hopes Iraq Oil Law to pass this year

The Kurdistan regional government hopes Iraq's federal oil law will be passed this year and is working with Baghdad to iron out disputes that have delayed the legislation, the region's top energy official said on Tuesday.

"Iraq is ready to move on and is seriously trying to resolve these issues," the Kurdistan Regional Govenrment's Minister for Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami told Reuters at an event in Dubai. "The federal law is needed to attract investment in Iraq."

Disputes between the largely autonomous region of Kurdistan and Baghdad have held back the law for over a year.

Hawrami estimated potential oil reserves in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq at around 45 billion barrels.

Current oil output was negligible, but the region aimed to boost production to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in five year, he said.

Kurdish region hopes Iraq oil law to pass this year | Markets | Reuters

Originally Posted by Seaview

Iraq's Kurds to make fresh proposals on Oil Law

Baghdad will receive fresh proposals on the federal oil law, the Kurdish regional government said on Tuesday.

At a press conference in Dubai, Prime Minister Barzani said: "Very soon, about two weeks from now, we will start negotiations to finalise the agreement".

The sides will also discuss revenue sharing, the oil ministry and national oil company, he added.

Barzani will hold talks on the halt of exports to international oil companies which signed deals with the region. Baghdad claimed the deals were illegal.

He said the region will not export oil without seeking consent from Baghdad. "We are not selling oil to anybody," he said.

Kurdistan and Baghdad have delayed drafting the law for over a year.

Gulfnews: Iraq's Kurds to make fresh proposals on oil law

Sounds like concessions are being made and they want to bring this issue to a close and get on with it. Hopefully before the Summer brake !!
Maybe the end of June is the time. Pray, Pray , Pray.........

Statement by the international advisory and monitoring board on the development fund for Iraq 02 Jun 2008
The International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) met in Kuwait on May 12-13, 2008 and issued the following statement:

"The IAMB met to continue its oversight role over the use of resources of the DFI, which is the principal repository for Iraq's oil-export receipts, and oversee audits of the DFI in line with its mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1790.

"The IAMB considered the results of the 2007 audit of the DFI. The audit highlights key issues of concern regarding weaknesses in controls over oil extraction and use of the resources, including: (i) slow progress in installing oil metering, (ii) incomplete accounting records of the DFI, (iii) direct deposit of oil revenue of $849 million in SOMO bank accounts instead of the DFI, and (iv) uncertainties about remaining contractual commitments entered by the former Coalition Provisional Authority. The IAMB also followed up with the auditors the unaccounted differences of 13.8 million barrels in 2007 in the analysis of oil production and consumption. The summary results of the Ernst & Young audits are available on the IAMB website (International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq (IAMB) -- An audit oversight body for the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI)) and detailed reports will be posted mid-June 2008. The IAMB also coordinated with the successor body—the Committee of Financial Experts (COFE)—the arrangements for the 2008 audit, including an interim audit to June 30, 2008.

"The representatives of the Government of Iraq and of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit (BSA) reported on actions taken to follow up on outstanding audit recommendations. The IAMB noted some progress but reiterated its concern at the continuing slow progress in implementing the earlier recommendations and in strengthening the system of internal controls. The IAMB urges the BSA, in conjunction with the COFE, to coordinate and actively monitor and follow up a concrete plan of the Government of Iraq to timely monitor and resolve the control weaknesses and build up the necessary capacity to carry out these responsibilities in the various government departments and ministries.

"The IAMB noted that some barter deals of crude oil were recorded in 2007 as in previous years. As no revenues are generated from such barter or other in-kind deals, they could be construed as a violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1483 requirements that all Iraqi oil export sales be deposited into the DFI and the UN Compensation Fund. The IAMB continues to be concerned that barter transactions are not accounted for in the DFI as required by UNSCR 1483.

"With the expected expiration of the IAMB's mandate at the end of 2008, the IAMB is actively working alongside COFE. COFE is already meeting regularly, considers the audit reports and has embarked on a comprehensive follow-up of earlier recommendations together with the BSA. COFE is regularly submitting its reports and minutes of meetings to the Council of Ministers and publishing on COFE's website.
"The next meeting of the IAMB is scheduled for end-August 2008."


Press Releases: Iraq, Statement by the international advisory and monitoring board on the development fund for Iraq 02 Jun 2008

I think I posted something on this yesterday, so if so, sorry

Iraq Kurd PM says ready for power-sharing in Kirkuk

The prime minister of Iraq's Kurdish region said on Tuesday Kurds were willing to share power with Arabs in the city of Kirkuk -- a focus of rivalry between ethnic groups, largely because of its considerable oil wealth.

Kurds, a minority in Iraq as a whole, see Kirkuk as their ancient capital and had led the push for a referendum to establish control. Arabs encouraged to move to Kirkuk under Saddam Hussein want it to stay under Baghdad's control.

The dispute could threaten the relative stability in the largely Kurdish north, spared some of the ravages suffered by the rest of the country, but it also resonates beyond Iraqi borders. Turkey fears extension of Kurdish control to Kirkuk and surrounding oil fields would spawn a wealthy, and hostile, Kurdish state that could foment separatism in its southeast.

Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said the Kurdish regional government that controls the north was pushing for a solution over the status of Kirkuk but that this did not necessarily have to come in the form of referendums proposed so far.

The Kurdish parliament voted in December for a six-month delay in a proposed referendum, partly to give the United Nations time to come up with proposals for settling the issue.

"In Kirkuk, as Kurds, we are ready for power-sharing," Barzani told Reuters in Dubai.

"We are pushing for a solution, not especially a referendum. We have asked the U.N. to be technically involved because the situation is complicated," he said.

A referendum had been due by the end of 2007 to decide the settlement of multi-ethnic Kirkuk's fate. There were fears a referendum could stoke ethnic conflict by delivering power to one side or the other, or lead to disruptive movements of population as groups manoeuvre for influence.

The U.N. special representative to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, said in April a peaceful settlement must be found through a political formula and not a hastily organized referendum that could trigger violence.

Iraq Kurd PM says ready for power-sharing in Kirkuk - Yahoo! News

Electricity: establishing gas pipe to boost fuel stations

The strict security procedures on Iraqi-Kuwait borders have led to the halt in fuel supplies specialized to operate number of generating units

On the other hand, the ministry confirmed the accomplishing of gas pipe project in order to supply a number of new electricity stations allover the country.

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - Electricity: establishing gas pipe to boost fuel stations==

ID 4.5 B For developing Technology University

Baghdad's province council specified ID 4.505,116 B to rehabilitating the inner departments and other buildings of the university

A source at the council said that rebuilding committee follows the council adopted carrying out such projects follows technology university and within a finance specification amounted almost ID5 B, to improve the scientific factual and improving high education in the state. He added that the committee accomplished the project of rehabilitating the inner department in the university besides the healthy, electric & air conditioning sector within cost of ID 669,35 M and rehabilitating student cafeteria and the central library and university presidency building within cost of ID 219,770 M included supplying library tools project within cost of ID 410,325 M included supplying the inner departments within new furniture and electric tools.

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - ID 4.5 B For developing Technology University

Ministry ready to join WTO

Transport ministry to study the project of restructuring forms preparing to join world trade organization according to inclusive scientific sight to prepare matters of interring Iraq to the international organization and observing the international covenant document and the gradual moving to a new stage to improve the sector depending on a central economical strategic view. Ministry's advisor Ismat A'amir, said that the study included discussing uniting the companies of the common activity according to a scientific principles seeking of help from the experiences which ensures succeeding the mentioned step to have a better sector within the best services suits the modern transporting technology

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - Ministry ready to join WTO