Thread: Archive - Latest News Think Tank - 15/01/09 - 04/05/09

Central to the sales decline to $ 150 million in the canteen

the U.S. dollar decreased sales of the Central Bank in an auction for the sale and purchase of foreign currency, on Tuesday, reaching $ 150 million, compared with $ 173 million in the previous session.

The bulletin issued by the Central Bank and the Agency has received (Voices of Iraq) a copy of which was that "the total volume of demand for the dollar stood at 150 million and 585 thousand dollars at the exchange rate was stable compared to 1170 dinars per dollar."

The figure is a decrease from the previous meeting, which recorded total volume of demand for the dollar stood at 173 million and 930 thousand dollars at the exchange rate was 1170 dinars per dollar.

The Bulletin that "the distribution of demand for the dollar by 28 million and 510 thousand dollars in cash, covered by the bank at the exchange rate was 1176 dinars per dollar, including the central bank and a commission of six dinars per dollar."

With the value of remittances outside the country of 122 million and covered 75 thousand dollars at the exchange rate at the central 1173 dinars, including the central bank and a commission of three dinars per dollar, "did not make any of the 15 banks participating in the auction, offers to sell the dollar.

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Parliament calls for the Government to amend the previous legislation for advancement of investment

Student member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives Atrushi Sami, on Tuesday, the government of encouraging investors to speed up the amendment during the previous laws to promote investment by.

Atrushi said in a statement sent to news agency (Voices of Iraq) a copy of which is "to promote investment by the government to encourage investors to speed up the amendment during the previous laws such as draft laws submitted to the House to publish it as soon as possible and, therefore, to convince the investment companies favored Iraq market is promising and fertile ground for investment ".

"With the issuance of the investment law for more than two years, but he has not seen the light has not worked for the introduction of investment companies, as was expected when it is issued with one of the best investment laws in the region."

He pointed out that "some of the reasons due to the security situation, but other reasons due to lack of activation of the investment, the choice of both the President and members of it by the House of Representatives or the promotion of those recruited by the agency, Mr. Prime Minister, prepare them for the proper management of the body or because of the existence of laws and decisions of previous include bureaucratic procedures cause delays in the requests and requirements of the successful operation of the investor. "

Atrushi felt the need to "include the administrative amendments, banking facilities and privileges relating to land ownership or long-term lease, tax exemptions and access to energy and other concessions that the government and the Investment Authority, identified on the plan and study and included in the amendment."

He added that "today we are what we need for the introduction of the investment companies in a hurry to speed up reconstruction and to move the economy and employment and government institutions are not achieved the required form, as we have noted in previous years."

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Iraqi unions announce new confederation

At the first International Labor Conference ever held in Iraq, three of the country’s major labor organizations announced the formation of a new labor confederation.

At the close of the two day meeting of Iraqi unions with their international allies, Iraq’s powerful Federation of Oil Unions, the nationwide Electricity Association and the General Federation of Workers Councils and Unions signed an agreement to create a new labor confederation, a step toward unifying the Iraqi labor movement as an advocate for the interests of Iraqi workers.

The conference, held on March 13-14 in Erbil in the Kurdish Region of Iraq, drew more than 200 delegates from unions and federations across Iraq and solidarity delegations from the U.S., the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan, Australia, and Iran.

More than a year in the making, the conference drew representatives from Iraq’s oil and gas industry, its port union, the electrical generation and distribution industry, construction, public sector, transportation, communications, education, rail roads, service and health care industries, machinists and metal working sector, the petro-chemical industry, civil engineers, writers and journalists, food oil workers, tailors and students. Workers attended from fifteen of Iraq’s eighteen provinces.

The U.S. delegation of six was organized by U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), a network of 186 local, regional, state and national labor organizations that together represent more than five million union members. It included USLAW National Organizer Michael Eisenscher; USLAW Steering Committee Member Michael Zweig (a leader of United University Professions/AFT Local 2190); Bill Shortell, President of the Central Connecticut Labor Council; Jim Norris, President of United Steel Workers Local 675, representing oil industry workers in Southern California; and two members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, T.J. Buonomo from Philadelphia, and Aaron Hughes of Chicago.

In his address to the conference on behalf of USLAW, Michael Eisenscher said, “We recognize that the Iraqi people and labor movement have paid a terrible price to regain your freedom, to establish democratic control over your own government and over the fate and future of the Iraqi nation. We are painfully aware that it has been the government of the United States that is responsible for so much of the death, destruction, dislocation and suffering that the Iraqi people have endured. It was our government that provided the dictator Saddam Hussein with the means by which he waged war on his own people, as well as other nations of the region. And the working people of our own country have also paid dearly in both blood and money for the transgressions of our government. This conference marks an important step toward full restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, which can only be achieved when all foreign military and mercenary forces depart Iraqi soil, all foreign military bases are closed, and the territorial integrity of Iraq is fully respected by all the nations of the world.”
The conference was greeted by Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) via video recording from Washington, DC, who expressed his support for the Iraqi labor movement and reiterated his long-held belief that the invasion and occupation of Iraq constituted a gross violation of international law and that all U.S. troops should be promptly and completely withdrawn.

Hassan Juma’a Awad, president of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Union, condemned efforts by the U.S. to privatize Iraq’s oil industry through production sharing agreements that could cede control over Iraq’s oil to foreign corporations for as long as a generation.

Speaking for his 25,000 members, he called for Iraq’s oil to remain under the control of the state oil company for the benefit of the Iraqi people. The conference adopted a strong resolution that described the proposed draft oil and gas law, promoted by the U.S., as “hostile to the interests of the working class and consequently all Iraqis.”

It declared, “All sources of energy are the property of the people of Iraq, and no one has the right to privatize or monopolize these resources under any pretext. These resources must be used for the benefit of Iraqis and distributed equally.” It called for participation of representatives of the workers in the development of the oil and gas sector.

The conference also adopted another resolution that called for immediate enactment of a basic labor law that complies with International Labor Organization standards for the protection of the rights of workers to organize, collectively bargain and strike in unions of their own choosing, free of government interference.

The U.S. Occupation Authority and Iraqi government continue to enforce Saddam Hussein’s antiunion labor law that bans unions for all public workers and employees of public enterprises, including its oil industry.

Another resolution called for an independent Iraqi state with a “non-sectarian, non-ethnic” government. It said, “One of the major steps to bring stability, peace and security in Iraq is to form a government that defines people on the basis of human identity, regardless of their ethnic, religious or sectarian background.” Other resolutions addressed the global economic crisis and privatization.

A dramatic moment in the conference occurred when T.J. Buonomo, a former U.S. Military intelligence officer, and Aaron Hughes, a former U.S. Army sergeant, took the stage to deliver their remarks. It was the first time that veterans of the U.S. military had returned to publicly acknowledge crimes committed against the Iraqi people and to apologize for their role in the economic and military occupation of Iraq. They said they were not there to ask forgiveness, but rather to take responsibility and to demonstrate their solidarity with the Iraqi people. They denounced the manipulation of intelligence, bribing of Iraqi journalists, the torture of Iraqi prisoners, the suppression of worker rights, and attempts by the U.S. government and multinational corporations to control Iraqi oil.

The response was immediate, powerful and heartfelt. One Iraqi union leader who had been considered a staunch nationalist rushed the stage to embrace the veterans. Another proclaimed that their statements had removed a great wall between the Iraqi and American people. The veterans received a standing ovation.

Summing up his estimate of the conference, Samir Adil, conference coordinator and president of the Iraq Freedom Congress, said, “This conference represents a major advance for both the unification of the Iraqi labor movement and strengthening of the international movement in solidarity with the Iraqi people in the context of the global economic crisis and consequent global and regional political changes.”

The Iraqi government considered the conference of sufficient importance that it sent an official observer, Adnan Muhammed Kadar, Minister of Labor of the Kurdish Regional Government, who welcomed the delegates. Also attending was Hardy Shakar, representative of Bang Kee Moon, UN General Secretary.

The conference created an “International Front Against Wars, Economic Blockade and Violation of Trade Union Rights” as a coordinating body to continue its work in the coming years.

Arabic and Kurdish media provided extensive coverage of the conference, including reports broadcast across Iraq and the Middle East.

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/14899/

Press release issued by the Central Bank of Iraq

Central Bank of Iraq continued with great caution and statements by then and the other is through the media, some government services and interfaces, which deal with the monetary policy of the Central Bank and the analysis and conclusions of strange reasons and misleading in its results, especially when exposed to the mechanisms and instruments of that policy by, for example, auctions and bank references price adopted by the monetary policy, which, unlike all of those remarks is to make the country strong and the pace of stability represented by the low rates of inflation for the first time at this level successful and influential, in fact the standard of living and the future development and economic prosperity. While the annual inflation rate basis, according to the latest official statistics, about 7%, which is changing the price in the overall economic life in Iraq in such a high rate of stability.

And the Central Bank of Iraq stresses that such statements, regardless of the sources and intentions, they did not come out, unfortunately for the confusion and doubt and confusion in the concepts and views are in no way contradictory to the economic realities as well as to demonstrate the relevance of the intentions of misleading to the successes of national economic policy and in accordance with the purposes and goals seemed to raised and left their mark both negative direct or indirect effects on the commercial market forecasts and the stability of his dealings, and such manifestations of the deepening turmoil in the building of the expectations inherent in the various contracts and transactions. As well as strengthening the role of speculative activities and a state of instability because of the extreme delicacy of the movement of trades in the financial market.

At a time in which the Central Bank of Iraq that such statements in spite of the incompatibility with the general economic policy of the country and its efforts to build a strong and stable cash commensurate with the established policy and sustainable development, it has recently been started has reached huge proportions this time was stability constants cash for the country to anarchy, which is ensured by the principles of monetary policy through the functions and tools over the past few years the construction of the pillars of a strong, stable and in particular the policy of the Iraqi dinar exchange rate and building a strong national currency, which promised a real triumph of the economic program for the Iraqi government.

Of the foregoing, the Central Bank of Iraq to reassure his audience that the Quran said monetary policy reflects the current economic climate and a strong, stable and supportive factors for the development and economic prosperity, and hope at the same time, indifference to those misleading statements to the contrary is the monetary policy adopted and the existing monetary system to build a coherent including the exchange rate policy and the mechanisms associated with Bmzhadath price and transmissions in the context of harmonization of national financial market and its compatibility with other activities, the real movement of the Iraqi economy Twtrha total promising and strong.

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Iraq Finances Minister: Iraqi funds exceed 70 billion dollar

Finances Minister Baqer Jaber Al Zubaidi noted on Tuesday that the amounts of Iraqi funds exceed 70 billion dollar among central bank’s reserves and deposits in the development fund account. Al Zubaidi added that he believes Iraq is in a good financial condition and owns around a 44 billion dollar capital of foreign currency which helped the country overcome the world financial crisis.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Economics...on-dollar.html

Foreign companies would get majority stake in Iraq oil and gas projects

Iraq's new government for the first time is proposing to give foreign oil companies a majority stake in projects to develop oil and gas fields in an effort to greatly expand production at a time of falling oil prices.
A top adviser to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki on Wednesday confirmed statements made by the Iraqi oil minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, in Vienna earlier in the day that foreign companies could bid for as much as 75 percent of the profit from new oil and natural gas development projects. The adviser also confirmed that Iraq might offer new and existing fields for development by foreign oil companies, outside of formal bidding rounds for new fields, which had previously been open to only a small number of major oil companies.

Previously, Iraq had offered foreign companies no more than 49 percent stakes in new oil development projects. Shahristani told Bloomberg News in Vienna, where he was at an OPEC industry seminar, that Iraq would be open to bids from such companies as Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell for 75 percent stakes in new development projects.

Thamir Alhadban, chief of advisers to Mr. Maliki and a former oil minister himself, confirmed Shahristani's statement. "He has said this before — it is nothing new," Mr. Alhadban said. "Even during the old regime, contracts were offered at 75/25." He was referring to the regime of Saddam Hussein.

But under the current government, there has been stiff opposition in Parliament among "resource nationalists" from many political parties to foreign investment at all, let alone majority stakes. Even a proposed contract with Shell for harvesting natural gas from oil fields in southern Iraq, which gave Shell a 49 percent share, was strongly condemned in Parliament.

What is new now, Mr. Alhadban said, is that some existing, already producing fields would also be offered for development under Iraq's plans to increase production. Iraq has been exempted from OPEC's freeze on oil production because of the damage to its oil sector from the war.

Controversy over foreign involvement in the Iraqi oil industry has been one of many factors preventing the country from passing an oil law. Mr. Maliki's oil adviser, Ibrahim Alolom, said that at a meeting in Baghdad late last month bringing together all top government officials and the Oil Ministry, there was broad agreement that Iraq needed to make new initiatives to attract more interest in foreign development of the petroleum sector. "We agreed we need to open the oil sector to other paths," Mr. Alolom said, "but what those paths are we left to be decided."

Mr. Alolom said that he was unaware of Mr. Shahristani's statements in Vienna Wednesday but that any increase in shares beyond 51/49 would be controversial.

There is no suggestion that Iraq is proposing to offer ownership stakes in oil or gas fields to foreign companies, which would be forbidden under the Iraqi Constitution. Rather, the stakes are for profits from projects to develop and exploit the fields.

Sabah al-Saidi, a spokesman for the contracting and licensing division of the Iraqi Oil Ministry, denied that there had been any change in Iraq's policy or that Mr. Shahristani was opening up bidding outside of the first and second bidding rounds. The schedule for those rounds has been advanced by as much as six months recently in hopes of overcoming investor reluctance attributed to instability in Iraq, the lack of an oil law and poor terms for foreign companies.

But a statement posted on the Oil Ministry's Web site on Wednesday invited bids for digging 30 new wells in three major southern oil fields, including the Halfaya field, which is classified as "super giant" and has five billion barrels of proven reserves. Those bids are due in only a month and clearly fall outside of the existing bid rounds.

Because of falling oil prices, Iraq has had to sharply revise its budget downward. There is a "need for an immediate increase of additional production," Mr. Shahristani was quoted by Bloomberg as saying. Iraq produces 2.4 million barrels per day of oil and hopes to increase that amount to 6 million barrels over the next five years, Mr. Shahristani has said, an effort that will require an investment of $50 billion. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/18/mideast/iraq.php

Presidency denies Atrushi confirms the budget to Parliament

A member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives Deputy Sami Atrushi that has the Presidency of the Republic Act the general budget to the House of Representatives, the President of the Republic has denied the veracity of these reports.

Atrushi said in a press release Thursday, that the reason for the law to the House of Representatives is in the details and reasons for reducing the budget by 5 trillion dinars.

Expected Atrushi restore balance to the House of Representatives the day after the Presidency Council to clarify the reasons for and details of the reduction.

In the meantime, Council denied the presidency of the General Budget Law to the House of Representatives and the news was not true.

The House of Representatives passed in the fifth month of the current public budget for the current year reduced majority after five trillion dinars.

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Economists told Tigris: the need to address the problems that hinder the work of investors

A number of economic experts, the government need to take serious and urgent action to address the problems that hinder the work of investors in Iraq.

They confirmed that the survey conducted by the Radio Dijla that the economic situation has deteriorated seriously and, therefore, the activation of an urgent need to stimulate investment at the present time.

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Adviser in the prime minister told the Tigris: the adoption of several measures to facilitate the work of investors

Adviser said the prime minister for economic affairs, Abdul Hussein Al-Anbuge that several measures had been taken to facilitate the work of investors in Iraq.

He Anbuge told Radio Tigris routine followed by some ministries with regard to encouraging investment and increasing the area in Iraq.

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Iraq expects investments to the tune of 35 billion dollars in the first two rounds of oil

Iraq's Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said Iraq expects a total investment of $ 35 billion dollars in the first two rounds of oil from oil development.

Section Shahristani that amount to 15 billion dollars investment in the first round and $ 20 billion in the second round.

The Iraq intends to spend 50 billion dollars on energy sector over the past five to six the next.

He said in a conference of the OPEC energy that these investments will increase oil production capacity in Iraq to 6 million barrels per day from about 2.5 million barrels per day, and also add new refining capacity of 840 thousand barrels per day

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Maliki: reconciliation invitation is open to all, provided the militants to lay down their arms
The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa talks intensive capital Baghdad, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari,

Maliki confirmed that his Government was moving towards «new Iraq», with Zebari, speaking on «Iraq to host the Arab summit conference after a summit next periodic Doha», was «The Iraq on the Arab leaders will be seen in relation to hosting the summit, and noted that the United Nations will decreased, during the summer of this year, all the laws and decisions issued by over Iraq since 1990.

In parallel with the statements of Maliki and Zebari, Amr Moussa, speaking of the «new Iraq, that is taking shape in all areas including the role and future», stressing that the role of Iraq in the Arab world should be resumed quickly, and said that he sensed «significant progress in the inter-visit 2005 to Iraq, and his current visit ».

He called on Moussa said after meeting senior officials in Baghdad «expansion» of national reconciliation, while at the same time that Iraq «make» about the situation stable.

Mussa told reporters that «the Arab League is following with interest the developments in Iraq, moving towards a stable situation of reconciliation and hope to continue and expand and have lead to the sustainability of social peace, political, and I think that Iraq is on the path of stability». And Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa, is reached, the situation in Iraq at the level of harmony and national reconciliation, Maliki confirmed his Government's commitment to move towards «new Iraq».

In an exclusive statement to Al «Middle East» after the talks, Moussa yesterday morning at the headquarters of the cabinet in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's call for those who wish to combatants in the dialogue, is to leave his weapon before entering the dialogue, he said: «Who wants to go back to class and the political process and leave the language of weapons, extremism and sectarianism we welcome it », he said« Iraq has begun recovering from its wounds and return to the spread and Surrounding Arab », and said« that Iraq declare its readiness to be a partner in the tasks and demands and benefits », said the official« today can to say that our goal with the trends of the Arab League, the National Accord and reconciliation has been achieved and there was understanding and rejection of sectarianism among the people of Iraq ».

Maliki launched his remarks to reporters, stressing that the meeting with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States «was quite positive and many preparations on the level of benefit from the institutions of the Arab League to support Iraq's efforts in the fields of economy, and in the direction of the construction, reconstruction and services». He stressed that Iraq's efforts to accommodate all the Arab brothers in the area of reconstruction, also welcomed the Bcrkathm to contribute to the reconstruction process, especially after the difficult stages undergone by the Iraqi people. Maliki confirmed the importance of supporting the university on the issue of Iraq and the Arab diplomatic presence and the return of ambassadors and Arab embassies in Iraq.

In response to a question on the extent of Iraq's willingness to accommodate the redeployment plans and the impact on the security situation, the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, that this question is the same subject, which circulated during the talks with the Secretary-General (Amr Moussa) ».

The «I say with confidence and conviction, and through the field realities and not merely political or media estimates, the security capabilities and coherence popular has the ability to fill any voids and fast». He added: The recently concluded agreements providing for the understanding that the withdrawals are to be filled by the Iraqi forces, which have become more capable and experienced and equipped.

On the results of the dialogue with the factions, Maliki confirmed that, since assuming the responsibility of the Council of Ministers, the principle of national reconciliation and cooperation with all those who believe in the political process and want to cooperate in accordance with the Constitution controls. Maliki welcomed b «all» opponents «But on the basis of constitutional» in reference to the new constitution prohibits the Arab Baath Socialist Party.

Maliki said: that «the process of reconciliation needs to be a calm atmosphere and conditions .. Is now available and stable », said that« the doubts that had been grappling with some of the opponents Pant reality is that the state is not sectarian or racist and does not want to divide Iraq as they were promoted, and she also does not want to sell to Iraq, claim the slogans », stressing his interest in reconciliation in accordance with the principles and national interests that serve the Iraqi people.

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