Al-Rafidain Bank Capital Increased To 25 Billion Dinars
17 September 2007 (Iraq Directory)
The Cabinet decided at its thirty seventh regular session to approve the capital increase of Al-Rafidain Bank from ten billion ID to twenty five billion ID from the reserve account without incurring treasury charges, based on the provisions of Article (10 / First paragraph) of the General Companies Act No. 22 for the year 1997 as amended by Law No. 9 for 2002.
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Iraq Issues Tenders For International Oil Companies
17 September 2007 (Iraq Directory)
The Iraqi Oil Minister announced that Iraq will issue tenders to international oil companies to develop its oil fields regardless if awaited law to regulate its energy sector is further delayed, Iraq Directory reported.
He went on to add that the Iraqi government has given its approval to the country’s draft law in July of the current year but has still not been discussed by the parliament.
It is worth mentioning that the postponement of the bill will not hamper plans for the development of the sector which accounts for more than ninety percent of the Iraqi government’s revenues.
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Economic Development Conference For Anbar
17 September 2007 (Iraq Directory)
The clan leaders in Anbar held an economic conference with American and Iraqi officials to discuss methods of economic development, three days after the surprise visit by the American President. About three thousand American and Iraqi soldiers participated in protecting the Ramadi City Hall where the meeting was held over one day.
The conference was attended by Democratic Senator Joseph Biden who came to Iraq specifically to attend this forum. Also attending were the American ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, and the Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the second highest American military official in Iraq, in addition to a delegation from the Iraqi government headed by the two Vice-Presidents, Tariq Al-Hashemi and Adel Abdul-Mahdi, plus Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih.
An American official said that the aim of this conference is to give economic support to this province where former rebels have joined the police to fight Al Qaeda alongside American forces.
Noah Miller, the official at the American embassy, said that “the Anbar Forum is an attempt to bring together the central government with local government,” and added, “During this forum we expect the central government to announce an assistance program for the province.”
The American President George Bush had made a surprise visit to Al-Assad air base in the province, and has hinted during his visit to the possibility of reducing the number of American troops in Iraq if the security situation continues to develop there, in what had been one of the main strongholds of the insurgency in Iraq.
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Iraq To Resume Oil Shipments To Jordan
Amman, 17 September 2007 (AFP)
Iraq is to start this week delivering oil to Jordan at preferential rates under a year-old agreement, the kingdom’s transport minister said in an interview published on Sunday.
“The Iraqi side has informed the Jordanian authorities that it was ready deliver shipments … within three days,” Saud Nessayrat told Ad-Dustour daily.
The crude will be transported from Iraq’s volatile northern oil hub of Kirkuk, Nessayrat said.
Baghdad struck a deal with Amman in August 2006 to provide its neighbor with 10-30 percent of its daily oil needs of around 100,000 barrels starting from September of last year. But the shipments have been delayed for technical and security reasons. Nessayrat said that Iraq will at first supply Jordan with 10,000 barrels per day.
In June, Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh said his country would be selling the oil to Jordan at a preferential rate of $18 below market prices. Jordan was reliant on Iraq for all its oil needs before the US-led invasion of its eastern neighbor in March 2003, importing 5.5 million tons annually by road, half of it free and the rest at a preferential price.
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Kurdistan region flights to resume to Sweden and Germany
17 September 2007 (KRG)
KRG (Kurdistan regional government) minister of transportation Burhan saeid Sofi announced during a press conference that Kurdistan Region Flights to Resume to Sweden and Germany in the next week.
“Kurdistan region’s sky is secure and investigations of the Swedish airlines company showed that news that allegedly Swedish airplanes has been shot were baseless” said, KRG minister of transportation.
“Flights from Sweden to Sulaimaniyah will resume by the next week, but another company will conduct those flights.” He added.
In August, Sweden has suspended commercial flights to and from Kurdistan region (Iraq) after an apparent rocket attack against a passenger jet as it took off from the northern city of Sulaimaniyah, the Nordic country’s aviation authority said Tuesday. Sulaimaniyah International Airport Authority, Kamaran Ahmed, said a local investigation found no evidence that a missile was fired and blamed the scare on bright lights being used on the ground.
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Municipality to implement big projects in Sadar city
Baghdad, 17 September 2007 (Al-Sabaah)
The Municipality of Baghdad has announced that it is about to set up big projects at the region located behind Sada in as-Sadar city.
In press statements, an official source at the municipality said that among these projects is the establishing of a big medical city and big park, its area reaches to 300 acres in addition to build several modern residential compounds.
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25 Billion Dinar For Farmers Fund
Baghdad, 17 September 2007 (Al-Sabaah)
Finance ministry specified 25 billion dinar for farmers box supporting to making use of the amounts in improving the marshes by establishing projects of improving the fish worth and buffalo breeding.
A statement issued from finance ministry mentioned that, finance minister and agriculture minister acting Baqir al-Zubaidi, decided specializing of 25 billion dinar as a credit within % 2 donated to al-Rasheed bank under account of farmers box supporting.
On the other hand, Zubaidi emphasized that the government supporting all the efforts to achieve high levels of the agricultural plan in the state by encourage planting of rice, wheat, barley and all strategy yields.
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Iraqi government allocates $120m for development of Anbar
17 September 2007 (MENAFN
An official at the Iraqi government announced that the government has allocated a total of $120 million for the rehabilitation of Iraq’s western province of Anbar, IDP reported.
He also added that $50 million will be used to compensate cities who have suffered damages due to military operations and $70 million will be set aside to support the reconstruction and development projects in the province.
It is worth mentioning that the administration has allocated $200 million to compensate those who have suffered damages and to restore the railroads that extend from Falluja to Heet.
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Iraq Eyes AWB Imports
17 September 2007 (AME Info FZ LLC)
Iraq is in talks with Australia’s AWB regarding the possibility of resuming wheat imports, reported Reuters.
Imports ended in February 2006 when AWB was investigated for the alleged payment of kickbacks totalling more than $200m to the regime of former leader Saddam Hussein.
Iraq used to import around 2.5m tonnes of Australian wheat per annum prior to the scandal; recently, Iraq has been importing wheat from the US.
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Project to exchange 5m palm trees in orchard
Baghdad, 17 September 2007 (Al-Sabaah)
The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a national and strategic project to plant 5 million palm shoots instead of the old ones in palms’ orchards in the country’s provinces over the next few years the cost of this project is ID75 billions.
In an exclusive statement to as-Sabah newspaper, the Director-General of the State Commission of the palms at the ministry Dr. Far’ouan Ahmed Hussen said “the project which its studies have been ended, had been prepared on the background of the commission researches.
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Zeebari: New round of US-Iran discussions soon
Baghdad, 17 September 2007 (Al-Sabaah)
Foreign Minister Hoshear Zeebari revealed that the fourth round of the Iranian American discussions about Iraq would be held in Baghdad soon while he discussed with his French counterpart Bernard Kushner ways of support Iraq.
Zeebari added at press statement that the region would witness in next year new stage because US forces’ cutting in Iraq, considered that decision its gives impression, that the US presence not eternal.
Meanwhile, Zeebari discussed with Kushner in Paris the French and EU support to Iraq by training Iraqi security forces and providing financial and technical aids to execute basic projects as health care and education. Iraq Updates