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Members of Parliament from Iraq’s al-Ahrar (Liberals) Bloc has demanded that the Parliament holds a special session to discuss the problem of electrical power, according to a statement carried by Aswat al-Iraq.

“We demand the Parliament’s chairmanship to add the issue of the electric power on the schedule of the Parliament for next session, in order to discuss the problems of the electric power and lay suitable solutions for it in the forthcoming peiod,” Uday Awad Kadhim said.

The statement quoted Kadhim as saying: “It is necessary to carry out maintenance and rehabilitation of the electric power networks during the next phase, before next summer, when the temperature would rise and leads to failure of enough power to comission the airconditioners and aircoolers.”

(Source: Aswat-al-Iraq)

In addition to proposing his new cabinet, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presented his government's new program to Parliament this week.

The full text of Iraq's program for government is as follows:

1. Maintaining and commitment to Iraq's constitution completely, and that any subsequent modifications will be in accordance with Article 142 of the Constitution, and activate all of its articles without selective and follow the work of the committees formed in accordance with the Constitution and in particular Article 140. Adoption of legal contexts reference head of the government work to resolve all differences and problems On the basis of outstanding and committed to the political forces and members of the Council of Ministers by the Constitution and the curriculum as is the common government of the forces and parties participating in the political process.

2. Achieve political process, and expand participation in it, in addition to enhance democracy.

3.Consolidation of state institutions and building the rule of law via adoption of asset management and institutional accordance with the principle of citizenship and be regarded as the ministries and state institutions of national identity and property of the people and not the identity of the party, the minister and its personal and prevent any monopoly or domination or tutelage of any class or groups of formations governmental, administrative and public institutions.

4.Human rights respect in the way that ensures expression freedom to all ethnic sides according to law.

5.Renunciation of aggression and terrorism, discrimination and address all acts of aggression, terrorism and discrimination by the enemies of the Iraqi people, led by Saddam's Baath and terrorist groups, and commitment to the fight against sectarianism and to prevent any attempt to return the country to the eras of tyranny and dictatorship and terrorism, blasphemy and the confiscation of the other, and to condemn crimes of deportation and the Anfal and the mass graves, war and adventure, and policies Aggressive and coups.

6. Ensure the right to live in peace and security and freedom for all Iraqis in their homeland, of all religions, nationalities and creeds, and that Iraq will be the components of the social model of brotherhood, coexistence and tolerance

Following on from our listing on Monday of the main cabinet positions, we present a more complete line-up below, compiled from information sourced from Iraq Oil Report and Reuters.

The official website of the Iraq cabinet has not published the official list, and has chosen instead to lead with an article about the importation of eggs. Let us hope that the new government makes it a priority to improve its communications.

Some of the positions have not been filled, awaiting the political blocks (in parenthesis Coalition/Party) to nominate their candidates:

Prime Minister: Nouri al-Maliki (State of Law (SOL)/Daawa) will also be acting ministers of Interior, Defense, and Minister of State for National Security until candidates can be approved.

Deputy Prime Ministers: Saleh al-Mutlaq (Iraqiya/Hewar); Hussain al-Shahristani (SOL/Independent) — with oversight of energy policy — and acting minister of electricity [but Reuters names Ziad Tarek as Minister for Electricity]; Roz Nouri Shawes (Kurdistan Alliance (KA)/Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)), and acting minister of trade.

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Hoshyar Zebari (KA/KDP) will also be acting minister of womens’ affairs.

Minister of Finance: Rafia al-Issawi (Iraqiya/Mustaqbal)

Minister of Oil: Abdul Karim al-Luaibi (independent but associated with Daawa)

Minister of Higher Education: Ali al-Adeeb [Ali Al Adib] (SOL/Daawa) will also be acting minister of state for national dialogue (reconciliation). [Reuters names Amer Al Khizaii as State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs]

Minister of Housing and Construction: Mohammed Sahib al-Daraji [Reuters names Mohammed Salem Al Laban] (Iraqi National Alliance (INA)/Sadrist)

Minister of Education: Mohammed Tamim (Iraqiya/Hewar)

Minister of Industry and Minerals: Ahmed Nassar Dali al-Karbouli [Ahmad Nader Dali] (Iraqiya/Tajdid)

Minister of Justice: Hassan Shimari [Hassan Al Shumari] (INA/Fadhila)

Iraq's core annual inflation slipped to 3.1 percent in November from 3.2 percent in October and is likely to be at a similar level in December, a central bank official said on Tuesday.

Reuters reports that Mudher Kasim, a senior adviser at the Central Bank of Iraq, said inflation was driven mainly by higher housing, water and electricity costs. He said he expected inflation in December to be at a similar rate to November.

'The basic annual inflation rate for November is at 3.1 percent. This inflation figure is considered normal when compared to the conditions in Iraq."

Core inflation, as defined by the central bank, excludes fuel prices.

Iraq is battling to revive an economy damaged by decades of war and economic sanctions. To help spur investment and growth, the central bank has tried to relax monetary policy and encourage bank credit.

(Source: Reuters)

An International Fair was opened in the new Basra International Exhibition Centre in Maaqal in southern Iraq’s Basra Province, with the participation of 70 Iraqi and foreign companies, the Exhibition’s media source said on Sunday.

Aswat al-Iraq reports that the Fair, called “WEBO 2010,” was opened with the attendance of Basra’s Governor, Ahmed al-Hassani and the Iranian Ambassador in Iraq, Hassan Danae, under the auspices of Basra Province and the Iraqi Trade Ministry, Anwar al-Saad, adding that the Fair is organized by Pyramids and through cooperation with the Iraqi “M&T IRAQ”.

“The five-day Fair will cover sectors such as water, sewage, electricity, modern energy, reconstruction and housing, roads, oil and gas and petrochemicals, and will be attended by 70 companies from Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Jordan,” she said, adding that the Fair “would conclude a one-year period of different fairs, held in Basra since the beginning of the current year, that had proven their success through the attendance of major international companies.”

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

As we predicted in our report last week, Iraq's acting Electricity Minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, asked investors on Saturday to compete to build four new power plants to help the country meet it increasing electricity demands.

According to Bloomberg, the Minister promised a healthy profit for the winners.

At a meeting of 33 local and international investors, the Minister the companies that governmental and legal obstacles would be removed for firms that won the right to build and operate the plants.

"I can assure you that the government is interested in implementing these projects and will fully cooperate with the winners," al-Shahristani said.

He also urged the firms to look past Iraq's dangers and focus on the potential payoffs.

"It is true that you could hear about some sabotage attacks in Iraq and some laws that could discourage the investors, but you have to look to the potential of this country," al-Shahristani said.

Over 20 of the 33 firms at the meeting on Saturday bought the bidding data package.

At issue are plans for Iraq to give investors 22 gas fired turbines that the government has already purchased from General Electric, in exchange for building, maintaining and operating power plants. The electricity would then be sold to the Iraqi government to distribute across the country.

Billions of dollars have been spent to rebuild Iraq's electricity network, which was damaged by U.S. shelling during the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 invasion, subsequent looting and insurgent attacks. The national power grid, however, is still unable to provide more than seven hours of daily power in Baghdad alone. Other areas across Iraq get even less electricity.

The planned power plants, to be built in four southern provinces, will add 2,750 megawatts to Iraq's current production of about 7,000 megawatts daily — about half of the actual demand.

Ten of the turbines will be installed in Basra province, with an additional four each in Diwaniya, Muthanna and Maysan provinces. Each turbine is expected to produce 125 megawatts daily.

Iraq projects it will produce 13,000 megawatts daily by 2014, said Adel Hameed Mahdi, an adviser to al-Shahristani.

Fuel for the planned facilities will come from nearby oil and gas fields that are being developed by international energy companies, Mahdi said. He said it will take two years to build the plants.

The deadline to submit proposals is mid-January, and the contracts will be awarded in May.

Encouraged by Iraq's improved security and new laws to make foreign investment easier, several firms said they were interested.

"The security situation is much better than it was maybe two or three years ago," said Steve Doughty, energy director at UK-based Harlow International, a development and engineering firm that will bid for the project. "At the moment we don't have any real worries."

But Reuters reports that some of the potential investors said the bidding process was poorly organised and that contract terms would not encourage bidders. "There needs to be a lot done yet on the government side to fix the process and make it feasible for the investors," said Alexander Krakovsky, a vice president of New York-based ContourGlobal.

Iraq also is hoping to sign a multibillion-dollar deal with Shell and Japan's Mitsubishi in southern oil fields to help boost power generation.

(Source: Bloomberg, Reuters)

Iraq's Ministry of Electricity as issued a tender for the supply of medium voltage power cables.

The closing date for receipt of bids is 22nd December.

Please click here and here to download details.

Wednesday's United Nations Security Council decisions removed, among other things, the restrictions on Iraq's importation of nuclear technology.

But how will Iraq use this new freedom? A report from Reuters suggests some options:

Nuclear Energy

The UN move allows Iraq to re-develop nuclear reactors, but Science and Technology Minister, Raed Fahmy,  said a full study would be needed before the government could make a decision.

"The question here is, do we want to enter into the arena of having an electro-nuclear plant? Yes, it is an acceptable project and this option has become the choice of many countries in the world, especially because the world is looking to produce clean energy," he told Reuters.

Iraq is short of electricity and currently has a generating capacity of about 9,000 megawatts. The national grid supplies power for only a few hours a day.

In its effort to rebuild after years of war and sanctions, Iraq hopes to triple its capacity to 27,000 MW in four years.

Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981.

Medicine

Iraq's Health Minister, Saleh al-Hasnawi, said Iraq would develop the sorts of nuclear-based medicines widely used by other countries.

(Source: Reuters)

The Iraqi government has asked for bids to build four large power plants in southern Iraqi governorates that could boost its power generating capacity by 2,750 megawatts, a spokesman for the electricity ministry, Mussab al-Mudaris, said on Monday.

"The ministry will announce provisions of new tenders to build four gas power stations during a roadshow meeting that will be held in Baghdad Saturday Dec. 18,"  he said, according to Dow Jones.

Iraq, which suffers from an acute power shortage, hopes to at least double its power production which is only 7,000 megawatts--less than half of the country's actual electricity needs.

The ministry would offer investors the contract to install and operate 22 gas-fired turbines that it has already purchased from General Electric (GE).

Separately, ministry officials said that they were offering private companies contracts to install and operate these turbines for a period of 20 to 25 years and sell the power back to the government in accordance with international standards and the government, on its part, would sell it to consumers at subsidized rates.

Ten of the turbines would be installed in Basra province, and four in each of Diwaniya, Muthanna and Missan governorates, Mudaris said. Each of these turbines would produce some 125 megawatts, he added.

The ministry wants investors to install and operate these turbines, each valued at around $40 million, within two years of awarding the contracts, the spokesman said.

Iraq Business News will provide full details of the tenders as soon as possible.

(Source: Dow Jones)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District soldiers and civilians help the people of Iraq everyday through the construction of quality hospitals, schools, water treatment facilities, security facilities and infrastructure projects.

But, recently, the USACE Southern Area Office (SAO) implemented a program that will help the Iraqi’s in a different way – by providing them with clothes, hygiene products, toys, school supplies and treats for school children.

The Adopt-A-Project program (AAPP) brings together stateside schools and other charitable and/or private organizations and companies that would like to adopt “like Corps projects” within the SAO area of responsibility.

According to Maj. Kurt Hense, deputy officer in charge of the SAO the goal of the AAPP is to help build good working relationships with Iraqi contractors, public figures, families and leadership that are vital to the successful completion of USACE projects.

“Apart from the simple humanitarian aspect of giving to those less fortunate than you, there are several other reasons for developing these types of important relationships within a post-war Iraq,” said Hense, of Woodbridge.

“While combat operations have technically ceased, daily incidents targeting the 50,000 troops and several thousands of U.S. and allied civilians remaining have not. Developing relationships while working with Iraqi contractors and public figures and leaders is vital to completing our projects.”