More Iraqi News Late Wednesday PM 9-29-21

More Iraqi News Late Wednesday PM 9-29-21

TLM724 Administrator BondLady’s Corner

The World Bank Sets Goals For Granting Iraq $100 Million

Thursday 30 September 2021  22   Baghdad: morning   The World Bank set the goals of granting Iraq $100 million, while praising the vaccination campaign launched by the Iraqi Ministry of Health last March. The bank said in a statement, "The project will support vaccination against the Corona virus in Iraq, by granting the vaccine to priority groups among the population and strengthening the institutional system, to enable the safe and effective deployment of vaccines on the widest scale." He added, "This project aims to assist the country not only in purchasing coronavirus vaccines, but also in improving its ability to manage waste resulting from health care activities, and implement communication and awareness efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of receiving the vaccine."

The Bank confirmed that “the project builds on the current support provided by the World Bank and other development partners to the Iraqi government, in support of its efforts to respond to the Corona pandemic, within the framework of the Iraq Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Fund (I3RF) and the Emergency Operation Project for Development.”

And he indicated that “Iraq launched the vaccination campaign against the Corona virus in March 2021, as it was able to rapidly increase vaccination coverage during the past month, and more than 7 million doses of vaccine were given, about 11% of the population received the first dose, in addition to immunizing 7% of the entire population.” In two doses.

And he indicated that "a comprehensive and well-coordinated vaccination campaign is an essential element for future recovery from the health and economic effects of the Corona pandemic," noting that "the project will play a critical role in enabling equal and affordable access to Corona vaccines in Iraq, as well as expanding the coverage umbrella to include 3 Millions of Iraqi citizens.

“There is a need to facilitate access to vaccines to reduce the spread of the pandemic and reduce the burden on the already weak health system in Iraq, and this project will support Iraq in the procurement and deployment of vaccines necessary to protect lives, and enable The country can safely reopen its doors and begin the economic recovery phase.”

According to the World Bank statement, this project is subject to the “Strategic Program for Coronavirus Pandemic Preparedness and Response (SPRP)” using the Multi-Phase Program Approach (MPA) approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors in April 2020; Additional funding for that program was approved in October 2020, and the project also includes a grant from the Iraq Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Fund (I3RF).

It is worth noting that the Iraq Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Fund was established in partnership with the Government of Iraq in 2018, with co-financing by Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden.

This fund provides a program of financing and strategic dialogue for the reconstruction and development of the country, with a focus on targeted national reforms and public and private investments to achieve social and economic recovery and reconstruction.

The Fund also works to be a strategic platform for coordinating efforts related to development and dialogue, and aims to stand behind the climate change agenda adopted by the country, as well as to support gender equality, achieve social peace and community participation by citizens.

Such financing from the World Bank would complement the activities of other development partners, as well as fill critical financing gaps to ensure the successful distribution of vaccines.

The World Bank is committed to continuing to support Iraq in its efforts to respond to the Corona pandemic and improve the resilience of its health system to future shocks.   LINK

The League Of Arab States Calls For Tight Policies To Advance The Digital Economy

Economie| 02:13 - 09/29/2021   Follow-up - Mawazine News, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, affirmed, on Wednesday, that the digital economy is currently an important resource in the global economy, as data indicate an acceleration in the pace of growth of the digital economy at rates that exceed the rest of the sectors, as its contribution is equivalent to 22% of the total output Global crude oil, while this percentage drops in the Arab world to only 5%.

Aboul Gheit added, during his participation in the opening of the Digital Economy Conference and Exhibition (Seamless Middle East 2021) in Cairo today, that "bridging this gap and catching up with the developed countries requires us, as Arabs, to develop strict and practical policies to advance the digital economy, as investment in it will allow achieving high growth rates.

and sustainable development that would absorb the large numbers of young people looking for job opportunities in many Arab countries, after the high unemployment rates following the outbreak of the new Corona virus pandemic, despite the exceptional measures approved by all Arab governments to confront it.

The Secretary-General explained that "the issue of digital transformation and the modernization of the Arab strategy in this field is one of the three priorities that we have chosen to focus on in the League of Arab States, in addition to the themes of sustainable development and entrepreneurship," stressing the necessity of "attention to building capacities in the field of artificial intelligence as the technology of the future."

And in this regard.” He pointed out that "the proposal submitted by him regarding the formation of an Arab advisory council for artificial intelligence, whose membership includes specialists from Arab organizations and member states, supervises the development of an Arab strategy in this field, and provides, when needed, the necessary advice and support to Arab countries."

Aboul Gheit added, "The development of the digital economy requires basic things, including providing an incubating and supportive environment for digital companies, establishing appropriate infrastructure and flexible legislation that facilitates the establishment of companies and provides basic rules for the protection of personal data, and other requirements."    https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=169221

Iraq Is Heading Towards A Rail Link With 6 Countries

Railway  Reports  Economy News – Baghdad  On his recent visit to Tehran, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi opened the file of the railway link project with Iran, which he paved for in a previous visit.

Opinions were quickly divided between supporters and opponents of the project. There is a group that says that the railway connection with neighboring countries reduces the importance of the great port of Faw, and on the contrary, another group believes that it will contribute in one way or another to strengthening the port's activities.

Going back, the Council of Ministers approved, last April, the railway connection project with Iran (Basra-Shalamcheh).

At that time, Al-Kazemi tweeted, "We have completed the railway linking agreement between Iraq and Iran, which will link Iraq with northern China and create wide economic opportunities for it."

An informed source revealed to "Al-Iqtisad News", "there are governmental trends to implement railway projects with all neighboring countries, to make Iraq a corridor and link between the West and the East," noting that the rail link also needs stable security conditions because any targeting of anyone Trains may affect the country, especially since the trains will pass through cities where terrorist groups are still active

He attributes this to the government's attempts to reduce dependence on oil revenues, which constitute more than 90% of the public budget revenues.

Former Transport Minister Kazem Finjan al-Hamami said in an interview with "Al-Iqtisad News", that what the Prime Minister spoke about during his recent visit to Tehran does not depart from the framework of "public discussions" where "there is nothing on the ground that has anything to do with the project."

He added that "some neighboring countries have adopted giant railway projects, such as the railway linking Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, known as " ITI ", which means (Istanbul, Iran, Islamabad) and extending over 7,000 kilometers."

Iran is seeking to implement this project to find an economic outlet and outlets to break the stifling blockade imposed on it by America because of its nuclear program.

Al-Hamami reveals that there are "very advanced negotiations between China and the Kurdistan Region regarding the passage of the Silk Line in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate, and from there heading to Syria, specifically the city of Latakia."

The cost of the project is 150 million dollars, which is the first phase of a larger project that aims to link Iran to the Syrian port of Latakia, which Iran is looking forward to taking over as a long-term investment in return for dropping its debts on the Syrian regime.

Where the railway extends over a length of 32 kilometers and is implemented by the Iranian Mostazafan Foundation.

The former minister points out that the areas through which the railway plans pass (Basra - Shalamjah) are characterized by loose land in addition to containing mines, which increases the difficulty of implementing the project, and makes it likely that the two sides will be satisfied with the 15 land crossings.

Al-Hamami does not agree with the hypothesis of the impact of the railway connection project on the port of Faw, but rather believes that it will contribute to activating and revitalizing the port's work.

In this regard, the economic expert Safwan Qusay agrees with Al-Hamami by saying: "There is no impact on the great port of Faw after the implementation of the railway linkage project with Iran, provided that the Iraqi negotiator sets his conditions that put Iraq's interest first.

He points out in an interview with "Economy News", that "Iraq seeks to raise the rate of gross domestic product from $200 billion to $500 billion in the coming years."

He added that "the railway connection project may achieve a previous Iranian desire to raise the rate of trade exchange between the two countries from $12 billion to $20 billion annually."

Regarding the financial returns from the railway linkage project, Qusay explains, "they rise with the increase in the volume of trade exchange with the other country."

But the strategic expert, Ahmed Al-Sharifi, confirms that "the railway connection will be in the interest of Iran and Saudi Arabia, not Iraq," noting that Iraq, after completing the rail link operations with Iran, will turn into "a transit country only, not a geographical node."

He adds that "Iraq, due to mismanagement, has lost the nominal and moral value in the regional and international balances."

Views 352 Date Added 09/29/2021   https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=26461

 

To read more current and reliable Iraqi news please visit BondLady’s Corner:

 https://www.bondladyscorner.com/

Previous
Previous

Mike Maloney and Max Keiser Thursday 9-30-2021

Next
Next

"Coffee With MarkZ" Thursday Morning Chat 9-30-2021