Archive Latest News - Dinar Think Tank - 27/08/08 - 15/01/09

Stable demand for the dollar on Wed

Demand for the dollar was stable in the Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) auction on Wednesday, registering at $110.240 million compared to $112.309 million on Tuesday.

"The demand hit $15.740 million in cash and $94.500 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at a stable exchange rate of 1,184 Iraqi dinars per dollar, one tick lower than yesterday," an official source from the bank told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 10 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

International cooperation workshop in Baghdad next November

The general director of the Iraqi public fairs announced on Tuesday that a workshop for international cooperation and investment will be held at the Baghdad International Fair next November, noting that a total of 200 companies will take part in the event.

"Preparation are under way with government's support to set up the Iraq International Fair which will be held under the title "the international cooperation work shop for reconstruction and investment" between October 10-15," Sabti Gomaa told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"A total of 200 Arab and foreign companies will take part in the event," he also said.

"We have contacted all Arab and foreign embassies and other ministries to promote the fair," he added.

"The interior ministry will provide us with protection," the official said.
"The fair will offer great investment opportunities in Iraq and will contribute in reconstruction operations through contracting with big companies," Sabti Gomaa added.

Aswat Aliraq

The Central Bank Of Iraq Warning the Citizens to Deal with Informal Financial Companies

The official source at the Directorate General of the banking and credit control to the emergence of a number of fictitious companies engaged in operations of financial swindling and fraud in the provinces through the exploitation of money out of citizens for promises of the benefits outweigh the benefits of high banking system, and that leads to the theft of citizens money and money laundering.

An official source stated to the Information Office of the National Council of Ministers to "Elaf" today , asked the citizens not to deal with these private companies explaining that it was directed to the concerned authorities in the Interior Ministry to take necessary action against those companies and shut off from work and forwarded to the judiciary.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation announced on the suspension of future activities with the 31 Iraqi , Arab and foreign companies and not to deal with them for their violation of contractual obligations with Iraqi ministries and governmental departments.

A source in the ministry stated that the governmental contracts department of the ministry suspended works with 31 Iraqi , Arab and foreign companies for violation of contractual obligations with ministries and government departments to implement the projects allocated to them. He explained that those projects belong to the ministries of industry and minerals, Electricity , Youth and Sports, health, agriculture, communications, trade, oil and the Municipality of Baghdad. He stressed that he decided to suspend future activities to work with these companies and not to deal with them until these matters to be solved, according to the controls in place. He added that the suspension of work "included the Iraqi and Arab companies (UAE ,Kuwaiti , Egyptian ,Jordanian) and foreign German, Turkish , Italian , Indonesian , Iranian, French, Ukrainian , Russian , American and British.

On another front, the Director of Planning Service Center of the Ministry of Trade, indicated on more than 700 cases of false civil identity all over Iraq and the owners were seeking to register in the ration card. The Director General of Chamber, Riyadh Fakhir Al Hashemi stressed that the names of the identities owners were transmitted to the competent authorities to take legal action against them. It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Trade is carrying out currently a major campaign to combat financial and administrative corruption to prevent wastage of public money.

PUKmedia :: English - The Central Bank Of Iraq Warning the Citizens to Deal with Informal Financial Companies

Ibrahim: No Request to Establish Permanent American Bases in Kurdistan

Jaffar Ibrahim, the leadership in Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) denied any request by the Kurdish leadership to establish permanent American military bases in Kurdistan region.

“Iraq needs an international support. Signing the security agreement with U.S. is for Iraq’s interest to exclude it from the 7th Article of the U.N. and to protect its sovereignty”, Ibrahim said.

He added “the Kurdish leadership did not request to establish permanent military bases in Kurdistan region. All the news that concern this issue is untrue. Establishing any bases will be via talks between U.S. and Iraqi governments, U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the concerned authorities. These authorities will handle the technical issues like the place, scale and the role of these bases.”

“Kurdistan Alliance Bloc is a major part in the Iraqi government, and Kurdistan region’s security is part of Iraq. There are negotiations between Iraq and U.S. concerning the security pact, which will guarantee facing any internal or external threats according to its 1st article. The region’s provinces witness security stability, but help is needed to face any external threat. To ensure the consent of all the Parliamentarian blocs, Iraq needs more time to sign the security agreement with U.S.”, Ibrahim said.

PUKmedia :: English - Ibrahim: No Request to Establish Permanent American Bases in Kurdistan

Iraq: US Sought Troop Presence to 2015, Agreed 2011

The United States asked Iraq for permission to keep its troops there to 2015, but U.S. and Iraqi negotiators agreed to limit their authorization to 2011, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said.

"It was a U.S. proposal for the date which is 2015, and an Iraqi one which is 2010, then we agreed to make it 2011. Iraq has the right, if necessary, to extend the presence of these troops," Talabani said in an interview with al-Hurra t.e.l.e.v.i.s.i.o.n, a transcript of which was posted on his party's website.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraq: US Sought Troop Presence to 2015, Agreed 2011

Turkey to Open Consulate in Basra

In a joint press conference with Basra governor, Turkish ambassador to Iraq Derya Kambai said “the Turkish government decided to open a consulate in Basra province to expand its diplomatic representation in Iraq, to further serve the bilateral relations between the two countries.”

“Our government pays more attention to southern Iraq. I think that opening this consulate will develop our relations, especially in economic terms, with Iraq’s southern provinces. Our government aims to send Turkish companies and to make investments, especially in Basra due to its economic and strategic position. We are planning to increase our aerial shipping and passengers transfer between Turkey and Basra”, said the Turkish ambassador who visits Basra for the first time.

On his part, Basra governor Mohammed Misbih al-Waeli said “we welcome the decision of opening a Turkish consulate in Basra. There are huge Turkish companies that intend to come to Basra to participate in the reconstruction process and modifying infrastructures. The consulate was to be opened at the beginning of this year, but it was postponed due to the security operation that was carried out in the province at March.”

The governor added “Basra will witness opening several Arab and European consulates next year. There are also several countries that intend to open their consulates in Basra like Russia, Czech and some Arab neighboring countries.”

PUKmedia :: English - Turkey to Open Consulate in Basra

Pentagon Says Iraq Withdrawal Must Be Based on Conditions

The U.S. Defense Department says it wants to turn over security responsibility to Iraqi forces as quickly as possible, but that the timing should be based on conditions. A spokesman repeated the position Tuesday in response to a statement by Iraq's prime minister calling for a full U.S. withdrawal by 2011.

As public jockeying continues in the final stages of U.S.-Iraq negotiations on the future presence of U.S. forces, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Makiki weighed in Tuesday, saying he wants all U.S. forces out by a fixed date in 2011. It appeared he was referring to all troops, not just combat units. Officials have usually been careful to differentiate between combat units and non-combat troops, who handle such missions as supply, logistics, medical services, air support and a variety of other tasks that the Iraqi military is not close to being able to provide for itself.

Later, other Iraqi officials were quoted as saying that even if the agreement calls for all U.S. troops to be out of Iraq, the government could later decide to invite some support troops to remain.

At the Pentagon, Spokesman Bryan Whitman had this response to Tuesday's statements in Baghdad.

"We share the same common goal as the Iraqi government, and that is to turn over more and more of the security responsibilities to the Iraqi security forces," he said. "That's proceeding well. But at the end of the day, nothing changes from the fact that we believe strongly that the withdrawal of U.S. forces, of coalition forces, ought to be based on the conditions on the ground. And what we are seeing is a dramatically improved situation in Iraq, with respect to security, and an ever increasingly capable Iraqi security force."

Whitman said it is that increasing capability that is making it possible to even discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces. He also said Prime Minister Maliki's statement outlined "some aspirational goals that are fairly far into the future." And he said there is still no final agreement on all the terms of the pending accord.

PUKmedia :: English - Pentagon Says Iraq Withdrawal Must Be Based on Conditions

industry lent money to small enterprises 84800 million

The Director General of the Industrial Development yesterday, Wednesday, the number of industrial projects that have been loaned from the competent loans amounted to 4923 projects since the beginning of this year and so far, while the amount which was ratified on purely on those projects to 84800 million of the $ 408 million earmarked for disbursement of loans In Baghdad and the provinces together.

He added that Abbas Nasrallah: those loans that have borne the exchange of benefits are distributed to beneficiaries without the benefits enjoyed exempting payment for one year to pay after four years, where amounts were identified between 25 and fifty thousand dollars, according to the value of the project and needs to resume its activity and nature of its production.

He explained that Nasrallah: the right of receiving the loan during the past year, as well as receiving the first meal of the loan for the current year before the lifting of the amount of the loan to the new ratio, that demanding changes to increase inclusiveness acted retroactively.

He did not mention the Director General of Industrial Development rate of increase occurring; however, pointed out that hundreds of those projects stalled resumed production (at the time was not determined) to play a role in activating the market and manage the wheel of production again.

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107

E.x.e.cutive Council meets on Iraqi-U.S Agreement

In the framework of the E.x.e.cutive Council meeting, the Iraqi Vice President Dr. Tariq al-Hashimi received VP Adel Abdel Mahdi and PM Nuri al-Maliki in his office yesterday.

The meeting discussed the ongoing negotiations with the U.S on the agreement scheduled to be signed with Iraq. They listened to a detailed explanation presented by PM al-Maliki on the pointes that are subject of dispute with the U.S delegation who promised to present an alternative text next week.

He also briefed them on the security situation in Khanaqin and the obstacles that undermine the accomplishment of the final stages of the military crackdown in Diyala. Due to the critical situation, the council stressed the need to move politically upon the highest levels and to hold a series of urgent meetings with the officials in Kurdistan region in order to settle the disputes.

PUKmedia :: English - ****utive Council meets on Iraqi-U.S agreement

Top Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to register to vote

Revered Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Wednesday urged Iraqis to register so they can vote in provincial elections planned to be held by early next year.

"Ali Sistani has called on Iraqis to register their names as the (electoral) list is regarded as an important document by the United Nations," an official from the cleric's office in the central holy city of Najaf said.

"With this document we can comply with international rules."

The provincial elections, considered crucial to stabilising the country, were originally scheduled for October 1, but are now expected to be postponed to early 2009 because parliament has yet to pass the election law.

Sistani's appeal comes on the eve of the final day for potential voters to register.

According to the UN, nearly 1.8 million new voters have registered this year in Iraq, mainly in the Sunni regions of Salaheddin, Nineveh, Anbar and in the Shiite province of Muthanna.

In 2005 the Sunni Arab community generally did not vote in parliamentary and provincial elections because of threats from insurgent groups. Nearly 8.5 million people, or 60 percent of the eligible electorate, voted in 2005.

Top Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to register to vote - Middle East News