By John Lee.

Iraq’s Ministry of Health has announced that it will build two 400-beds hospitals in the provinces of Kirkuk and Muthanna.

Azzaman reports that the Ministry has signed contracts totalling $290 million with foreign companies to build the hospitals, which are part of a plan to construct 11 such facilities.

A Turkish firm is to build the hospital in Kirkuk at a cost of $145 million, while a German firm will build the Muthanna hospital at a cost of $145 million.

(Source: Azzaman)

By John Lee.

The Samawa Business Development Center (SBDC) continues to expand the range of services it provides in Muthanna Province to meet the needs of government and businesses alike. Initially benefitting from grants and support provided by the Dhi Qar and Muthana Provincial Reconstruction Team and the USAID-Tijara program, the SBDC has grown from simply providing training programs in business skills to residents in Samawa to establishing their own Printing and Advertising Center and an Employment Placement Service to work with the local government and business community.

Banners have been an effective tool to announce upcoming events and to advertise businesses and even political party candidates. Recently, the SBDC was contacted by one of their early advertising clients, Muthanna University, to produce banners and other material for this year’s graduation ceremonies.

“We produced some signs for the University in January for their new buildings and are very glad they returned to ask us to help highlight their graduation ceremonies” said SBDC Director Emad Mansour Rabat. “Our Printing and Advertising Center allows local government and businesses to design and have these large format banners produced locally without having to travel to Baghdad. It is a great benefit for clients here in Muthanna and nearby provinces.”

(Source: SBDC)

An Iraqi company has won an investment license to build a residential compound in Muthanna, an official of the Muthanna Investment Commission said on Wednesday.

“The MIC has granted an investment license to an Iraqi company to build a compound, consisting of 792 apartments, in Muthanna on an area of 65 donums [16 hectares]”, Ali Hanoun told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The commission expressed readiness to provide all facilities to implement the project according to the Investment Law number 13 of 2006,” he added.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

Works are underway to build a waste-recycling plant in al-Muthanna at a cost of $151 million [177 billion Iraqi dinars], according to the province’s investment commission chairman on Sunday.

“The project stands over an area of 30 donums [7.5 hectares] and should be finalized in 13 months,” Adel Dakhil al-Yasseri told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The plant, which would offer jobs for many unemployed persons, will treat different types of waste, namely those from residential and trade areas, the state departments, hospitals and industrial organizations,” he added.

Muthanna lies 280 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

A private-sector company is to invest £200m to build a cement factory with a capacity of one million tons and a total cost of $200 million [240 billion Iraqi dinars] in Muthanna, a source from Muthanna’s Investment Commission said on Sunday.

“We have completed all legal measures for contracting and handing over the land for the construction of a cement plant by the al-Mabrouka [Al Mabroka] company, covering an area of 350 donums [87.5 hectares] in al-Fadwa village, 20 km southwest of Samawa,” Ali Hannoun told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Construction is understood to begin within days, and will be completed withing two and a half years.

This plant is in addition to the Chinese CNMB plant we reported on in August.

(Sources: Aswat al-Iraq, Muthanna Investment Commission)

Staff from the China National Building Material Company, CNBM, have started work on the construction of the first concrete factory in al-Muthana province.

“The Chinese firm will construct the factory for an Iraqi investor,” a local source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He explained that the total cost of the project is $270 million [320 billion Iraqi dinars].

“The factory’s production capacity is 3,200 tons per year,” the source added.

He noted that around 500 Chinese technicians and staff members will work on constructing this factory in the al-Mamlaha area of the al-Muthana province, around 20 km southwest of the al-Samawa city.

Ten new water projects are underway in al-Muthana province.

“The projects aim to improve water services in al-Muthana,” a local source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Wednesday.

He noted that there could be a potential shortage in water during the summer.

( Aswat Al Iraq )