Iraqi News Sunday AM 1-30-22
Iraqi News Sunday AM 1-30-22
TLM724 Administrator BondLady’s Corner
An American Military Report Expresses Its Concerns About The Chinese Openness To Iraq
Economic Last update 01/29/2022 | 12:29 pm The information/translation … A report by the American newspaper, Star and Stripe, specialized in military affairs, stated that China opened a language class for 14 Kurdish students at Salah al-Din University in northern Iraq, by order of the Chinese Consulate in the northern city of Erbil.
The report, which was translated by Al-Maalouma agency, stated that “the semester is part of an experience with the local Salah al-Din University, and if those students succeed in graduating, the Chinese language department will be officially open for registration, giving the growing large number of Chinese companies in the Kurdish region of Iraq that are Chosen by the students for recruitment.
"I wanted to learn Chinese because I know that China will have the upper hand in the future, China will expand here, and that's why I chose it," said student Rijn Yassin.
China's interests in Iraq, entrenched in energy to satisfy its growing needs, are expanding, as Beijing builds power plants, factories, and water treatment facilities, as well as much-needed schools across the country.
He continued, "Dozens of contracts signed in recent years have ensured China's growing presence, even as major Western companies, including the United States, plan to exit, as Iraqi officials say they find attractiveness in China's offer of development without conditions for democracy or reform in addition to Its shrewd diplomacy.
He explained that "Chinese companies dominate the main economic sector in Iraq from oil, and Beijing consumes 40% of Iraq's exports of crude oil. But from a narrow focus on hydrocarbons, Chinese investments have grown to include other industries, finance, transportation, construction and communications.”
And he indicated that "this transformation came after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in 2013 the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which is called the New Silk Road, and consists of a wide range of development and investment initiatives from East Asia through the Middle East to Europe, which the United States considers troubling." Like a Trojan horse for Chinese expansion.”
For his part, Dean of the College, Atef Abdullah Farhadi, said, “The university was not sure at first that it would attract students or that it would find qualified trainers, so I asked the consulate to provide and pay for teachers, textbooks, audio lab, other classroom technologies and exchange opportunities in Beijing, and they met All demands, as the department was opened in 2019 and the first batch is scheduled to graduate next year, then we will expand.”
"I would have liked it to be the same for the English department," Farhadi said, noting that "the American and British consulates rarely offered help or provided anything, as they do not support us at all."
As China grows its economic footprint, Western oil companies are working to reduce their influence. Many have expressed dissatisfaction with Iraq's precarious investment environment and unfavorable contract terms.
"Chinese companies, with lower profit margins, always offer more attractive contracts and lower prices," said industry and Iraqi officials.
For his part, the former Iraqi ambassador in Beijing, Muhammad Saber, said that “during his time there, Chinese officials often remember their common history and many Chinese also remembered how in the 1950s, Iraq shipped tons of dates to China to help during the famine https://almaalomah.me/2022/01/29/579297/
Saudi Arabia: We Import Dates And Rice From Iraq
Economic 01/27/2022 | 11:53 AM The Information/Baghdad.. The Saudi Export Development Authority announced today, Thursday, the types of materials imported from Iraq, while confirming that Saudi Arabia is looking forward to increasing the volume of trade exchange with Iraq.
The advisor of the Saudi Export Development Authority, Omar Nasser Al-Rajeh, said in a statement reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) and seen by "The Information", "The Saudi Export Development Authority organized on the sidelines of the Saudi-Iraqi Business Forum to meet a group of Iraqi and Saudi businessmen to discuss opportunities for joint cooperation between the two countries.
About 60 Iraqi companies and more than 200 Saudi companies participate with us.
Al-Rajah added, "Saudi Arabia imports aluminum scrap from Iraq, which is one of the most important imported things, as well as iron scrap and some foodstuffs such as dates and rice."
https://almaalomah.me/2022/01/27/578959/
Iraq And Egypt Discuss Revitalizing Tourism And Archaeological Relations Between The Two Countries
Sweetened Yesterday, 20:08 Baghdad – conscious Today, Saturday, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hassan Nazim, discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Khaled Al-Anani the revitalization of tourism and archaeological relations between the two countries.
A statement by the ministry, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), stated that "the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hassan Nazim, met in Cairo with the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anani at the ministry's headquarters."
The statement added, "During the meeting, they discussed revitalizing relations between the two brotherly countries with regard to the antiquities and tourism sector, which did not live up to the level of ambition, and in a manner commensurate with the cultural depth of the two countries."
He pointed out that "they discussed the common problems facing the two countries in terms of tourism, theft of antiquities and their sale in countries of the world," noting that "the State of Egypt recovered many stolen antiquities, and that Iraq achieved tangible successes in this field and was able to recover thousands of important artifacts, which requires uniting efforts to counter the theft of antiquities.
The statement pointed out that "the two sides agreed to set up workshops to train archaeologists in both Egypt and Iraq, and also agreed on cooperation between the archaeological museums of Iraq and Egypt in the areas of development, and the possibility of benefiting from the experiences of the Egyptian side in developing Iraqi museums
For his part, the Egyptian minister affirmed that his country is preparing for a broad international conference to prevent trafficking in antiquities smuggling, and that Iraq will be a participant in it to prevent expansion in this field, which could be a source of terrorism financing.
He pointed out that "Egypt used to receive about 100,000 Iraqi tourists annually before the Corona pandemic." https://www.ina.iq/147580--.html
Experts Suggest Solutions To Reduce The Waste Of Money And Activate Non-Oil Revenues
Investigations and Reports Today, 10:30 Baghdad - conscious - Amna Al-Salami
Iraq was badly affected during the first period of the Corona pandemic and the global closure, as a result of its dependence only on crude oil sales, whose prices at that time reached the limits of 10 dollars per barrel, which required the Iraqi government to search for non-oil revenues.
Specialists emphasized that the financial policy for managing the productive sectors plays a role in formulating the fiscal policy for Iraq.
The researcher in political and economic affairs, Nabil Jabbar Al-Ali, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The government's options for increasing non-oil revenues can be divided or categorized into two parts.
The first relates to collection and fees, that is, transit fees and administrative services provided by some service institutions, as well as Obtaining fees for obtaining services at the Nationality, Passports and other departments, all of which are classified under fees and taxes.
He added that "the second category concerns production activities," noting that "the government has many productive companies, which are estimated at more than 70 production companies that are scheduled to be profitable and generate money."
He stressed that "failures in the productive sectors cause a loss to the state and bear its burdens, and this is a big problem."
In turn, the economic expert Salam Sumaisem explained to the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "the whole issue is how to manage the non-oil revenue file," stressing that "due to mismanagement, rampant corruption and administrative slack, revenue can never be diversified."
She added that "revenues are many, but they are dispersed and have outlets for leakage due to the lack of an electronic government first, and because there is no unified mechanism to manage these files," pointing out that "it is very possible that these funds will leak and go into the pockets of the corrupt and not be controlled as a result of the above reasons."
And she indicated, "the need for an electronic automation to control the border crossings and the departments in Baghdad, which have revenues for the state treasury," explaining that "with the presence of an electronic government, non-oil revenues can be controlled."
For his part, the economic expert, Mustafa Akram Hantoush, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "There are semi-oil revenues that are completely untapped, and that Iraq exports daily 3 million and 250 thousand barrels of oil, and what it exports through oil tankers is 90%, and this costs the state." Iraq is a huge sum.
He added that "corruption prevents the establishment of an Iraqi naval fleet and the dispensation of tankers that cost the Iraqi state billions of dollars," stressing that "it is possible to buy a real fleet that provides the Iraqi state with 4 billion and 500 thousand dollars in oil."
And regarding the port of Al-Faw, he stated that "the Iraqi people do not imagine the size of this port and its economic idea, and that it is a sea of oil, but in a commercial way," noting that "Iraq needs to complete the port of Al-Faw and establish the Basra-Turkey railway."
He added that "Al-Faw port needs at least 8 companies instead of one to speed up the completion of the berths," adding that "the volume of trade through the port may reach 65 to 70 billion dollars."
He stressed that "Iraq is the center of global trade and needs strategic plans in all fields to bring about an economic revolution." https://wwwina.iq/147546--.html
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