Iraqi Ministers, Officials, Discuss Services in Centre, South

Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic – government-sponsored television station, run by the Iraqi Media Network – at 0813 gmt on 17 September carries a live news conference in Baghdad on “plans to providing services to the Iraqi central and southern governorates.”

Speaking in English, transcribed from English; in progress, an American identified as ambassador opens the news conference by saying: …”By enabling an exchange of ideas among the various levels of government and helping provide essential services. This conference can contribute to realizing the hopes of the Iraqi people for a better life. Iraq’s economic future depends in part on capturing the immense potential of its petroleum sector. The increase in oil production over the last year is an important development, but Iraq must make considerable investments to further increase oil production and exports. We encourage efforts to reach agreement on hydrocarbons legislation in order to attract the investment necessary to growth. But Iraq’s development also depends on all levels of government supplying essential services fairly and efficiently. The people of Iraq need and deserve ample electric power, a clean and safe drinking water, and adequate health care services. No one level of government has a responsibility to work towards this goal alone. It must be a cooperative and dedicated effort among all government institutions. We and your many friends stand ready as partners to assist in your efforts. We are ready to continue to provide technical assistance and advice in support of your efforts. We congratulate Mr deputy prime minister and all the others involved in organizing this conference. We wish you every success both in this and the meetings today and tomorrow and in all your efforts. Thank you very much again.”

Iraqi Finance Minister Baqir Jabr al-Zubaydi then speaks, saying that “we would like to talk about the budget and the financial allocations to the governorates” and that “based on these figures, we can talk about services, which are an essential part of the policies of the national unity government.” He says that “the government allocated 2.5 trillion dinars in 2006 to develop the governorates,” that “the beginnings were relatively modest because of the heavy legacy of the former regime,” and that “the budget reached 3 trillion dinars in 2007 and then increased up to 7 trillion dinars.” He also says that “we still have funds from the 2007 and 2008 budgets,” that “each governorate needs $20 billion to reconstruct its infrastructure,” that “we have inherited a ruined country from the former regime,” and that “the national government has devoted everything to services.” He says that “the Finance Ministry has decided to build housing units for low-income citizens” and that “we have allocated 25 billion dinars to each governorate to build such housing units.”

Iraqi Planning Minister Ali Baban then speaks, saying that “the Iraqi citizen is suffering from the shortage of services” and that “the current shape of the services in no longer acceptable.” He says that “the government wants this year to be a year of construction and improvement of services” and that “the ministries and governorates should cooperate to achieve that goal.” He also says that “the Council of Ministers has authorized the ministers to allocate funds and budgets without returning to the Planning Ministry,” that “the governor can use the funds he needs to carry out projects without delay in order to achieve prosperity in the country,” and that “development is linked to the improvement of services.”

This is followed by a statement by Iraqi Electricity Minister Karim Wahid, who says that “the electricity plan will succeed only if we have adequate funds, investment plans, fuel supplies, human resources, and security,” adding that “security is the most important factor for carrying out electricity projects.” He says that “17 electricity projects will be carried out in Iraq within the next two years,” that “an electric grid has been built from Al-Faw to Zakho,” and that “many bombing operations damaged the electric grid between Baghdad and Mosul.” However, he says, “the security situation is much better than before,” that “since 1 June, no power cut has occurred in the electric system,” that “we have been able to generate more electric current at steam and gas power stations by about 600 MW,” and that “the power generated by the hydroelectric stations dropped by about 30 per cent because of the lack of water resources in the Tigris and Euphrates basin and Mosul, Hadithah, Samarra, Dokan Darbandikhan, and Himrin dams.” This, he says, “has prevented us from generating an additional 1,000 MW as scheduled and reflected negatively on electric current distribution in the governorates.” The specialized committee at the Council of Ministers, he says, “has not yet offered any study of power consumption, which has increased up to 1,200 MW.” He also says that “the pay increase in Iraq and the improvement of the economic situation have increased power consumption considerably.” Therefore, “we and the governors have drawn up a plan on how to control power consumption,” he says, urging coordination “between the governorate councils and the Ministry of Electricity to repair the worn out electric grid, which now loses about 35 per cent of power.”

Wahid also says that the Council of Ministers “has agreed to allocate about $8 billion for contracts with major international companies” and that “we have signed three contracts and a number of memorandums of understanding to build power stations in all the governorates.” We also coordinate with the Oil Ministry “to work out a joint plan to provide governorates with fuel and have launched a big workshop to implement the said contracts in order to produce 10,800 MW.” The Council of Minister “has authorized the Ministry of Electricity to purchase power station equipment before next summer,” he says, adding that international companies “have refrained from carrying out projects in Iraq over the past two years,” he says, adding that “they are still asking for guarantees to come to Iraq.”

Ghali Najm, chairman of the Development and Construction Committee at the Basra Governorate Council, then speaks, saying that “the lack of electricity affects the other services” and that “this governorate needs more than 1,600 MW.” He urges the government “to pay more attention to the Basra Governorate, which in an oil- producing and industrial centre.”

Al-Anbar Governor Ma’mun al-Ulwan then speaks, wondering “whether or not the funds allocated to building units for low-income citizens will be taken from the complementary funds to be used for provincial development.”

In response, the finance minister says that “these funds are part of the complementary funds.”

Al-Ulwan then urges the Ministry of Electricity “to replace the electric grid by an underground grid instead of rehabilitating it,” adding that “the electric and telephone networks were the first to suffer damage as a result of the terrorist operations.” He also says that “power generators in the governorate have not succeeded because of the lack of fuel” and that “the governorate needs about 500 MW,” urging the Electricity Minister “to disjoin the industrial sector’s power network from the national grid.”

The news conference is ended while in progress.

Originally published by Al-Iraqiyah TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 0813 17 Sep 08.

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