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

Held a conference on the financial reality of the banks in Baghdad

The Ministry of Finance, on Monday, a conference to discuss the situation of Iraqi banks and the most important problems and obstacles they face, in addition to the foundations and mechanisms to be adopted in its contracts with its Arab and global levels.

An official source at the information office of the Ministry of Finance, told Voices of Iraq (VOI), the ministry "was held today (Monday), a symposium to discuss the situation of Iraqi banks and the most important problems and constraints faced by the" addition "to discuss the foundations and mechanisms to be adopted by banks with their Iraqi Arab and foreign" .

"It was during the conference which was attended by Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr, and many officials and experts, to discuss the most important investment in the banking sector and a review of the most important non-Iraqi banks, which will be dealt with."

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Member of Finance Committee is expected budget deficit in 2009 increased by 50%

expected a member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives Atrushi Sami, on Monday, the fiscal deficit in the budget for Iraq for the year 2009 by 50%.

The Atrushi told (Voices of Iraq) "in spite of the stability of the price of a barrel of oil at 50 dollars, but the budget deficit for this year is still expected by 50%", indicating that there is a "fiscal surplus from previous years as possible to fill the budget deficit for this year, However, the problem facing us in the coming years."

The member of the Finance Committee that "the price of Iraqi oil below market prices, the world's oil, as sold by 8-10 dollars, but Iraq had not come to the production of two million barrels per day and daily production ranged between 1.8 to 1.9 barrels a day."

Atrushi pointed out that "the government has asserted the inviolability of the financial Balkhozin deposited in the Iraqi Central Bank, even with the continuing shortfall in the budget."

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Council of Deputy Ministers to discuss the reality of the oil sector in Iraq

Council discussed the ministries and agents in its meeting, Monday, the national strategic objective of the Department of Electronic and sponsored by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications Amir Al-Bayati, and the reality of the oil sector in Iraq, submitted by the Deputy Minister of Oil Ahmed Schamma.

The statement of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, received the agency (Voices of Iraq) a copy of which was that Ahmed Schamma made "a study on the effect oil exploration and production in Iraq and the challenges of legal, procedural and technical obsolescence of the system as required by the quarrying and the next phase of the increase in the production and updating of work".

The statement added that the Secretary-General called on the President of the agents suggested Alaak "call a number of specialists in the ministry to discuss this sector due to the volume of queries and depth."

Alaak and that "the importance of requiring the allocation of several sessions rather than one meeting to determine the nodes of the ills and to reach conclusions that would develop this sector."

The statement that the Emir of al-Bayati, the "vulnerability due to the absence of the productive system in the electronic management of Iraq in the light of the global financial crisis that revealed the weakness of the departments and the impact of the crisis in the processors."

He pointed out that there is "an organic relationship between the level of the applications of electronic management and increasing rates of corruption in a number of States than Iraq and its impact on the vulnerability of staff productivity," he said.

As the Secretary-General to the President of the agents, "the importance of coordination between ministries and relevant bodies, in particular, and a committee reviewed the work of the Legal Service of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers," he said, "to complete the draft Law on electronic signature and electronic exchanges."

When reviewed, Samir Al-Attar, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Committee's work the problem by his ministry and the ceiling to create the foundations of time-electronic applications in the ministries and preparing for the next generation, indicating that "significant and sustained the subject can not be judged by the full achievement in any period."

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Issawi, to visit the United States next month to give effect to the clauses of the agreement to withdraw troops

Deputy Prime Minister plans to Rafie al-Issawi to visit the United States next month to give effect to the clauses of the agreement to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

He said al-Issawi told a news briefing that the focus of the Convention for the security and the security side, but includes aspects of educational and health services, and information technology that affect the lives of citizens.

Issawi, said that the meetings were held with the U.S. side at the ministerial level to provide a plan or vision for the strategic benefit of the Convention, as it was agreed that the selection of a number of operational objectives of the ministries concerned to improve the performance, not only to make recommendations theory.

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Negotiations bet Washington & Baghdad to exclude some cities of withdrawal of U.S. troops

The military reports published by the New York Times said on Monday that the negotiations were planned between the United States and Iraq regarding the possible exception of some areas of the withdrawal of U.S. forces in June 30 and was stationed in bases outside the cities and towns, as stipulated in the Convention, which took place between them last year.

The paper quoted military officials that such exemptions are concentrated on the city of Mosul, as U.S. combat forces will remain in some areas of Baghdad. In this context, the report said some troops would remain in the camp fighting Brosberti the American Embassy in the Green Zone. And Mosul, except those areas, being prepared for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities and towns by the end of June, according to the timetable stipulated in Security Agreement, and in many cases even before that date.

But because of the level of insurgent activity in Mosul to meet military commanders and Iraqi Americans to determine whether an exception to Mosul would prepare the texts of the Convention.

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Zubeidi: bureaucratic procedures in banking system has delayed growth of these banks

He and Finance Minister Baqir Jabr Zubaidi, during the study and assess the work of Iraqi banks, that the bureaucratic process in the banking system in the country during the past two decades, financial and administrative corruption have delayed the growth of these banks.

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Iraq wants international oil companies to pay $2.5 billion for work on oil fields & 6 gas fields

According to the memorandum of an Iraqi official that Iraq wants the international oil companies, to pay about two billion five hundred million dollars more than expected in the past for work on six oil fields and gas fields. And through a senior E.xecutive in the oil company plans to bid for the shock in this document.

Adding that it was really a surprise, describing them as Baellatmp large. The document asks the signing of the final grant amounts to five hundred million dollars to work in the Rumaila giant, and the original contract calls for the payment of about five and fifty million dollars. The first round of bids are put forward by Iraq since the year two thousand and three.

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Commerce failed to provide the ration card items

Said a member of the Integrity Committee in the Iraqi Council of Representatives Nasseef high that the Ministry of Commerce has failed to provide the items of the ration card, and are not available free of impurities.

Nassif said in a statement to Radio NOUAN the Integrity Commission has a lot of files relating to administrative and financial corruption in the ministry, noting that the new administration of the parliament, and promised that the first file will be discussed is the regulatory file.

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Maliki to intervene personally to resolve the Kurdish conflict - the Arab in Mosul

Meetings continued the patronage of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad, between the main poles in the Nineveh province, a list of «national humpback» and «Ninawa sister» (Kurdish), in an effort to reach a settlement to end the crisis faced by the Kurds to maintain the province after the declaration of the Council.

A representative list of «Ninawa sister» Harki Mahdi told «life» that «the lists of representatives of the President held a meeting sponsored by the government in Baghdad," We have expressed our views on the topic and we have shared with our participants in the division of powers. List of Nineveh sister wants to respect the size of the mass in the province through the assumption of important administrative posts », asking the Council of the province. He added that «the first round of the meeting ended without a specific outcome, and resumed the meeting of the coordination with the Government».

He added that «the other party is unduly burdensome requirements for the settlement of the status quo, Kzj list of Nineveh in the case of the application of Article 140 of the Constitution, an issue back to the Iraqi government class basis, and if there is any objection to the list of humpback to this article because we are not party to the problem». He added that «all members of the Provincial Council of Nineveh, sister of the list are involved in ongoing meetings in Baghdad, as well as a representative list of the National Christian Ishtar».

The sources close to the meeting said that the focus of the first session was the «recognition of all of Nineveh province, subject to the authority of the central government the full administrative borders.» The sources pointed out that the conferees discussed the importance of respecting any amendments to the administrative development in the province of Nineveh, whether under the Constitution.

Escalated between the reactions my list «humpback national», headed by the governor Ethyl Najifi represent the Arabs, and the list of «Ninawa sister», headed by former deputy governor Khisro Curran represents the Kurds, since the announcement of the formation of new local government which acquired the list of «humpback» to administrative positions, the effects of the ire of members of the Kurds, who have Mqatatm of the Council.

The provincial council elections held in January 31 (January) the past, resulted in the victory of the list of «humpback» 19 seats in the provincial council of 37, filled with the list of «Ninawa sister» 12 seats.

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Originally Posted by Seaview

Oil export ban costs Iraq dearly, Kurds say
Iraqi oil ministry still seen as a major barrier for export of oil.

Iraq, hungry for investment after six long years of war, is losing millions of dollars a day due to Baghdad's refusal to permit the Kurdish north to export oil, a top official in the largely autonomous region told Reuters. Iraq is losing millions and millions of dollars a day. We lost several billion dollars last year by not exporting from Kurdistan, Ashti Hawrami, Iraqi Kurdistan's natural resources minister, said in an interview.

Who is responsible for that? Not us. We are ready for that oil to be exported, he said.

Iraq, where insurgent attacks persist even as U.S. and Iraqi officials hail a falling sectarian bloodshed from the dark days of 2006-07, is struggling to boost oil output and clinch deals with major global firms to develop its massive reserves. But a dispute over where Kurdistan's boundaries lie is at the heart of ominous strains between Arbil and the government of Shi'te Arab Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad. As Kurds complain of what they see as Maliki's increasingly authoritarian ways, some fear the rift could undermine Iraq's growing security. Especially sensitive is a Kurdish quest for control of disputed areas like the strategic oil city of Kirkuk. The Iraqi Oil Ministry has repeatedly condemned oil contracts Kurdistan has signed with foreign companies as illegal, pitting Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani against Hawrami in a public war of wills.

'World class reserves'
Hawrami, from his residence in the town of Masif Salahuddin, perched on a hilltop outside the Kurdish capital Arbil, spoke of mismanagement and flawed strategy in Shahristani's steps to reinvent an underperfoming oil sector and make new deals. Iraqi output is 2.3-2.4 million barrels per day, below what it was before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.

On principle, Baghdad has spurned production-sharing deals investors prefer as it seeks long-term oil and gas deals. Hawrami called that impractical and inefficient - a failed model. It is a dogma-driven process, this nationalistic approach ? It's done for political reasons. Once you politicize the contracts you're asking for trouble. You're asking for reduction of state revenue and you frighten the contractors, he said.

Hawrami had an indignant response to Shahristani's suggestion in a recent interview that partners in Kurdish deals, like DNO International of Norway, were. They are professionals with excellent track records, but even if they are fourth rate or fifth rate companies as the ministry of oil may wish to label them, they have discovered world class reserves, first class operations, at the minimum cost possible. There are few signs Baghdad is poised to end a long-running spat and let Kurdistan export oil through a national pipeline.

Hawrami said Shahristani reneged on promises last year to do so. Shahristani has said Kurdistan is holding back its own oil. Such rancor bodes poorly for hopes for a swift end to Kurds' and Arabs' long impasse over a national oil law, needed to ease investors' concerns about hunkering down billions of dollars in an unproven democracy still mired in violence. It may be even harder to render tough concessions as politicians of all stripes look to December's national polls. I'm not very optimistic at the moment,» Hawrami said.

The need to leverage Iraq's oil resources becomes all the more urgent as the government, which relies on oil for more than 95 percent of its revenue, gr*****s with low oil prices. The drop from a record of $147 a barrel last year to near $50 threatens plans to buy weapons, build schools, pave roads and much more.

We need to rebuild the country now - this year, not next year ... We wasted all that time and should not waste any more.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...%20Kurds%20say

The Ministry of Oil: the conflict with the Kurdistan province on the development of fields of art and not political

The oil ministry said the dispute with the Kurdistan Regional Government on the development of the fields and invested by foreign companies is a political dispute, not technical.

"The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for the extraction and export Abdoulkarim Laibi The difference is due to the feet of the province to sign production contracts with the participation of a number of international companies to develop fields, and the solution of this matter is to accelerate the adoption of the oil and gas law by the House of Representatives.

He explained that the Kurdistan Regional Government taken to develop a number of fields, including in the first crack in the Kirkuk field, which currently produces about 30 thousand barrels a day, was to submit a proposal for the establishment of the Ministry of pipeline to transport crude oil and oil export line linking the direction of Turkey, but officials see the possibility of linking with the tube out of the dome field Jormalp.

He stressed the need to sell the crude oil is exported, either in the Territory or in the rest of Iraq via a pipeline, the ad hoc, that the proceeds from the sale to the state's treasury.

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