Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. 09/05 to 01/14/07

Originally Posted by bultn

200 Euros ! That's a lot of money !

I hope this is a typo errow. 200 Euros. $1.50 in Euros = $1.75 in USD

Yes it is, i will edit it now. I belive it should be 200 million Euros. But not sure.
And thank you all for noticing

Originally Posted by neno

I hope this is a typo errow. 200 Euros. $1.50 in Euros = $1.75 in USD

Here's the latest Xchange Rate...

Monday, June 26, 2006
1.50 Euro = 1.87677 US Dollar

Just a couple of days until the 28th.

Looking for some solid news by then.

Getting edgy.....

Getting dance steps together with little ditty

dinar....peeeeeeeegggg...peg...peg...peg
Peeeeeeegggg...peg, peg, peg..
oooooooooohhhh...peg, peg, peg..



Kozmar

USAID/Iraq Weekly Update
25/06/2006
Source: Relief Web


SUCCESS STORY

The Iraqi marshlands, once one of the world's largest wetland ecosystems, are undergoing restoration to remedy the damage done between 1991 and 2003 when they were drained and significantly reduced from their original size. Re-flooding efforts after 2003 have restored the marshlands to one-third of their original size, and they are once again becoming rich in aquatic productivity, particularly fish and birds. Due to their unique ecosystem and isolation from other comparable systems, the marshlands play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity in the Middle East. Additionally, due to the increase in economic activities related to the restoration of the marshlands, many refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to the area.

In support of the marshlands restoration, USAID’s Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI) is maintaining monitoring teams to assess the success of restoration efforts and to collect data that will guide the Government of Iraq's policies and decisions regarding the marshlands. Six monitoring stations have been established in the Huwayzah, Suq Al Shuyuak, and East Hammar marshes, and monitoring teams conduct regular visits to collect data. Monitoring results show that excellent progress is being made in the restoration of biodiversity in the marshlands. Recently, the monitoring teams noted the return of three important species of fish to the marshlands. These fish are marketable throughout southern Iraq and have the potential to become a source of income for marsh dwellers.

The monitoring teams also observed the return of migratory ducks and geese over the winter, a sign that the marshlands are again becoming hospitable as a wintering site for migratory water birds. In addition to the monitoring program, ARDI is implementing crop and livestock production programs to improve agricultural production in the marshlands. Many marsh dwellers turned to agriculture after the desiccation of the marshes, which dried up land that was previously covered with water. There were very few, if any government agricultural extension services in the marshlands, so many farmers do not have knowledge of proper cultivation techniques.

The ARDI production programs are working directly with farmers to introduce modern techniques and improve production of sorghum, okra, maize, alfalfa, and sunflower crops that are in high demand in the marshlands area. The farmers can expect to increase their incomes through the sale of these crops, as well as improve their own food security. To improve livestock production in the marshlands, ARDI is working with buffalo breeders to improve nutrition in their herds, in order to improve reproductive efficiency and increase productivity and breeders' incomes. ARDI is also assisting in the establishment of 10 private veterinary clinics in Basrah, which will be owned and operated by previously unemployed veterinarians and will serve marshland livestock breeders to help them ensure the health and productivity of their animals.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

USAID works with Iraqi institutions to establish an environment for sustainable economic growth. Assistance empowers policy makers to develop and execute decisions based on economic data, and to implement modern best practices in economic governance. USAID projects provide a framework for private sector trade, commerce, and investment across Iraq.

The Social Safety Net Initiative: The average impoverished Iraqi family feeds seven people on under $1 a day. Enrolled in the Social Safety Net initiative, the average family will be able to receive $240 every three months ($80 a month) through its local post office, and will have access to employment counseling, vocational training, and additional support for school-age children. These payments will help families buy food and clothes, send their children to school, and avoid hardship as the government scales back wasteful subsidies. Programs like vocational training will help families lift themselves above the poverty line.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

A new six-week workshop, provided by USAID to four Iraqi working groups, will help the General Commission of Taxes (GCT) build essential capacity. These four working groups—focusing on taxpayer services, collections, audits, and investigations—are helping the Government of Iraq better manage tax administration and policy development. USAID is also working with GCT staff to finalize the taxpayer registration form and the guide for individual taxpayers. This month, the registration of individual taxpayers will begin and the new taxpayer identification number will be issued.

Working with the GCT’s Statistics and Research Department, USAID technical advisors are helping develop improved revenue reporting. Training programs are helping build institutional capacity to analyze and interpret revenue data, essential for developing and implementing economic policy. Drawing on USAID support, the Government of Iraq has recently established an Antipoverty Committee to support social welfare programs in Iraq. The Antipoverty Committee will track, study, and provide rapid reports to the Deputy Prime Minister and Director of Economic Affairs on the market changes and the effects of economic reforms on the poor. To address the complex nature of economic reform in Iraq, the Antipoverty

Committee brings together experts and representatives from key ministries including Planning and Development Cooperation, Finance, Trade, and Oil, as well as the Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology. Working with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA), the Antipoverty Committee will help create a consistent government policy for an evidence-based Social Safety Net program. The outgoing MOLSA Minister, Dr. Idris Hadi, noted: “This [Antipoverty] Committee can play a leading role in helping to improve the targeting and type of benefits available under a wider social safety net program, and the effectiveness of delivering those benefits and services to various groups of vulnerable people. We have made rapid progress in the area of social reform so far, and the Committee will help to promote further reforms that can alleviate poverty and limit social exclusion in Iraq.�

AGRICULTURE

USAID’s goals are to work in conjunction with Iraqi ministries, the private sector, and higher education institutions to revitalize agricultural production, stimulate income and employment generation, nurture rural development initiatives, and rehabilitate the natural resource base.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

USAID moves ahead on agribusiness development. Clean wheat seed is an essential input for improved wheat production in Iraq. Many Iraqi farmers use saved seed over many seasons. This unclean seed causes wheat production losses and results in lower revenue for the farmer from the sale of the harvest.

In the fall of 2005, USAID’s Agriculture Reconstruction and Development Program for Iraq (ARDI) worked with Iraqi private sector organizations to provide wheat seed cleaning services for farmers throughout Iraq. ARDI procured 169 seed cleaners and trained over 200 staff from these organizations in seed cleaner operation and maintenance. The organizations operated the cleaners for farmers in every governorate of Iraq, enabling over 48,000 farmers to clean their saved seed and treat it with Raxil, a fungicide that prevents disease in the seeds. The seed cleaners produced over 31,000 metric tons of clean seed, which were then planted on 242,000 hectares of land.

Six of the organizations have expressed interest in establishing agribusinesses for seed cleaning, and ARDI is working with them to help them create successful enterprises that can continue to make seed cleaning accessible to Iraqi wheat producers. Earlier this month, ARDI held a workshop with 15 members of these six organizations to provide training in the basics of forming a profitable agribusiness. The participants learned how to develop a business plan, create a road map for the first year of operation, and identify practical steps to move forward in establishing their seed cleaning business. The trainers stressed the importance of creating a business plan, which is a road map that lays out the steps necessary to achieve the objective of a successful business. The participants were encouraged to think about different elements of a successful business, including the products and services to be offered, marketing strategies, operational logistics, finances and funding requirements. As a first step to developing a business plan, the organizations each created a mission statement to describe why their business exists, to identify who the business serves, and to make a statement of future aspirations.

An ARDI specialist presented his experience creating and growing a seed supply business in the United States, including elements that contributed to success, and pitfalls and common mistakes that any entrepreneur might encounter at the beginning and through growth of a business. The participants were extremely interested in hearing about this experience, and it sparked lively debate. As part of this discussion, the trainers presented the financial tools that are necessary to manage the finances of a business. The organizations were grateful for the training, and are eager to begin their ventures in seed cleaning. Said one participant, “We thank ARDI for giving us the opportunity to serve our people, twice: One for the seed cleaners, and two for the knowledge of how to continue serving our communities.�

EDUCATION

USAID’s goals are to increase enrollment, improve primary and secondary education, ensure classrooms have sufficient supplies, facilitate community involvement, train teachers, implement accelerated learning programs, and establish partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi colleges and universities.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

Over 40,000 Iraqi educators were trained through USAID’s Education program, exceeding the targeted number. While all scheduled trainings for Iraqi teachers have already been completed, the recently tabulated numbers (at right) emphasize the great reach of these efforts.

USAID and Iraqi partners are working to complete the Education Management Information System (EMIS). USAID implementing partners are working closely with ministry officials to establish requirements and create an EMIS prototype. Essential equipment has already been ordered. USAID has also provided training to build the capacity of the Iraqi MOE through specialized technology training and on-the-job application training.

When complete, EMIS will serve as an invaluable management tool for the MOE, enabling nationwide monitoring and planning related to facilities, human resources, enrollment, student performance, and other information. A web-based system, EMIS will be accessible to all Directorates of Education (DOE) located across the country. Internet connectivity was provided to each DOE by USAID under a separate agreement with UNESCO. Currently, there is no similar nationwide management tool.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

In its first year, USAID’s humanitarian assistance focused on emergency interventions to prevent food and water shortages and provide adequate shelter and medical supplies throughout Iraq. USAID is now directing humanitarian assistance efforts through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to specifically target Iraq’s internally displaced persons (IDPs).

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

USAID continues to provide health support in Iraq. From May 1 to 15, 2006, the mobile health teams of a USAID implementing partner provided examinations to more than 150 patients in a central Iraq governorate-- 11 percent of whom required referral to a medical facility. In addition, the partner vaccinated 98 children under the age of 5; however, vaccination coverage for women of reproductive age, including pregnant women, continues to be low due to cultural norms that hinder women from accessing healthcare. Of the 810 women of reproductive age in the project area, 38 received the tetanus toxoid vaccine.

The same USAID partner also targeted a total population of nearly 6,500 people in a governorate in central Iraq with mobile health interventions. In more than 160 examinations during the two-week reporting period, the USAID partner identified the most common ailments as bloody diarrhea, anemia, hypertension, abdominal pain, neck mass, ear discharge, urinary tract infections, and neonatal jaundice. The teams vaccinated 130 of the nearly 1,400 children under 5 years of age and determined that only 10 of the 119 children screened were malnourished.

USAID, through implementing partners, recently completed the construction of 110 latrines in northern Iraq. These sanitation facilities will benefit 715 IDPs, including 415 women in three villages. USAID works to improve water distribution in Kirkuk. In early June, a USAID partner completed the rehabilitation of a water distribution system in one district of Kirkuk governorate. Before the USAID-supported intervention, the 25,000 district residents relied on an outdated system that supplied water only five hours per day through pipes made of materials such as asbestos and ductile. In addition, a lack of maintenance had led to extensive corrosion that resulted in significant leakage and contamination.

Dust and soil particles were easily visible from household taps. To improve the health status of beneficiaries, the USAID project increased water quantity and quality by replacing old asbestos or otherwise corroded piping in much of the water distribution system with new PVC pipes. The USAID implementing partner completed the project in two primary geographic areas where work started in April. One local resident is quoted as saying “We thank the organization for this intervention, before we had acute shortage of water. Even the supplied water was very dirty with soil participles easily seen by unaided eyes. I am happy now since my children would drink clean water.�

COMPLETED PROGRAMS

Since the cessation of the 2003 conflict, USAID has completed its planned work at Umm Qasr Seaport, restored significant portions of Iraq’s telecommunications network, rebuilt three major bridges and restored the rail line connecting Umm Qasr with Basra city and points north. USAID also helped avert a humanitarian crisis during the conflict by providing assistance to the United Nations World Food Program. USAID advisors continue to assist with management and distribution of food rations to Iraqi citizens.

INFRASTRUCTURE

- The $45 million program to rehabilitate and improve management at Umm Qasr seaport was completed in June 2004.

- Port reopened to commercial traffic on June 17, 2003; completed first passenger vessel test July 16, 2003.

- Up to 50 ships offload at the port every month.

- Completed dredging to open all 21 berths to deep-sea ships.

- Applied port tariffs on June 20, 2003.

- Renovated the grain-receiving facility to process 600 MT of grain an hour.

- Renovated the administration building, passenger terminal, customs hall, and electrical substations.

- Rebuilt three major bridges—Khazir, Tikrit and Al Mat bridges—critical to moving people and commercial products throughout the country.

- Rebuilt a substantial portion of the Iraqi Republican Railway line connecting Basrah with the port of Umm Qasr including physical track construction, installing culverts, and repairing gatehouses. The remainder of the work has been handed over to the Ministry of Transportation (MOT). This work allows shipments of bulk cargo from the port to Baghdad and throughout the country.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

- Audited more than 1,200 km of the fiber optic backbone network and performed emergency repairs, reconnecting 20 cities and 70 percent of the population.

- Reconstituted Baghdad area phone service by installing switches with 240,000 lines at 12 sites.

- Installed and fully integrated 13 new switches with 14 existing switches.

- Worked with the Ministry of Communications to reactivate more than 215,000 subscriber lines.

- Installed a satellite gateway system at Baghdad’s largest telecom exchange and restored international service.

- Trained telecom engineers and technicians in the operation and maintenance of the satellite gateway system and the new switches.

FOOD SECURITY

- Worked directly with the World Food Program (WFP) and Coalition Forces to re-establish the Public Distribution-System (PDS) in less than 30 days, avoiding a humanitarian food crisis and providing food security throughout the country.

- With Iraqi food distributors, Food for Peace, the WFP, and Coalition Forces maintained deliveries from June through December 2003 in all 18 governorates.

- Played a key role in an agreement between the WFP, CPA, and the MoT that provided the WFP with the resources and authority to continue to support the PDS through June 2004.

- Completed a rapid food security field assessment from 17 impoverished districts in May 2005 and presented assessment findings in the USAID food security forum in August 2005. Forum participants reviewed data to better understand food security in Iraq and recommended actions to reduce risk among Iraq’s vulnerable populations.

EDUCATION

- Through the Higher Education and Development (HEAD) program five American and 10 Iraqi universities partnered to aid the reestablishment of academic excellence in Iraq’s higher education system. More than 1,500 Iraqi faculty and students have participated in workshops, trainings, conferences, and courses all over the world since January 2004. Also, the HEAD program rehabilitated university facilities throughout the country and provided books and electronic resources to university libraries.

Raddy,

How do you find this stuff?

Most interesting is the marsh lands.

Keep it coming. This thread has given me a valued education on that part of the world.

Thanks for your continued efforts to educate us in this thread.

Kozmar

Kozmar. I must agree with that I am becomming more and more educated with that part of the world than i have ever been. Lets keep our prayers and hopes up for a better Iraq. and an increase in the reval of DINAR!

Kozmar, im not doing that much on my job so i have time to search on the internet, and i also have some websites i visit daily in hope to get some news that will help us all.

And yes i agree aswell, im learning alot.
Cant someone make a summary of these 239 pages lol!

I know, 239 pages. I think I got involved back in 80 something. This is the most fascinating forum. Very educational. Who would think you could feed 7 people on $1 a day.

Interesting,

>This oughta upset everybody in US:
>How they vote in the United Nations:
>
>Below are the actual voting records of various Arabic/Islamic States which
>are recorded in both the US State Department and United Nations records:
>
>
>Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time
>
>
>Qatar < FONT size=6>votes against the United States 67% of the time
>
>
>Morocco votes against the United States 70% of the time
>
>
>United Arab Emirates votes against the U.S. 70% of the time.
>
>
>Jordan votes against the United States 71% of the time.
>
>
>Tunisia votes against the United States 71% of the time.
>
>
>Saudi Arabia votes against the United States 73% of the time.
>
>
>Yemen votes against the United States 74% of the time.
>
>
>Algeria votes against the United States 74% of the time.
>
>
>Oman votes against the United States 74% of the time.
>
>
>Sudan votes against the United States 75% of the time.
>
>
>Pakistan votes against the United States 75% of the time.
>
>
>Libya votes against the United States 76% of the time.
>
>
>Egypt votes against the United States 79% of the time.
>
>
>Lebanon votes against the United States 80% of the time.
>
>India votes against the United States 81% of the time.
>
>
>Syria votes against the United States 84% of the time.
>
>
>Mauritania votes against the United States 87% of the time.
>
>
>U.S. Foreign Aid to those that hate us:
>
>
>Egypt, for example, after voting 79 % of the time against the United
>States, still receives $2 billion annually in US Foreign Aid.
>
>
>Jordan votes 71% against the United States
>
>
>And receives $192,814,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.
>
>
>Pakistan votes 75% against the United States
>
>
>And receives $6,721,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.
>
>
>India votes 81% against the United States
>
>
>And receives $143,699,000 annually.
>
>
>Perhaps it is time to get out of the UN and give the tax savings back to
>the American workers who are having to skimp and sacrifice to pay the
>taxes (and gasoline).
>
>
>Pass this along to every taxpaying citizen you know.
>
>
>
>
> Disgusting isn't it?
>