Zig’s Place Chatroom News Sunday Early Afternoon 12-19-21

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butterfly   Here is a long one.

butterfly   The situation in Iraq cannot bear more experiments

12-19-2021   The situation in Iraq cannot bear more experimentsMuhammad Tawfiq Allawi, and we say: Even if the next government is far from corruption, it will not be able to save the country from a very dangerous future; So, what is the way to save the country, advance it, and lead it to the shore of good, prosperity and prosperity?

During the past eighteen years, we only needed a government of honest and efficient ministers, away from quotas and thefts and without economic committees and offices.

This alone was enough to advance the country and eliminate corruption, poverty and unemployment and provide security and prosperity for the citizens……… But now even if such a government was formed Far from corruption, and even if all its ministers are competent and loyal, and even if they do not steal a single dinar, we are entering a very difficult and dangerous stage. Now to avoid this dangerous future……

And we say above all that if we achieve this required planning, we will not only save the country, but will we be able to be in the ranks of the most advanced countries in the region and achieve prosperity and a luxurious life for this people?

Here we ask: What is this required planning???

Before answering, we return to the main topic. In this case, you will ask: Why can we face a dangerous future?? The answer, in short, is our rentier economy and our almost complete dependence on oil; During the last three years, oil reached its lowest level of less than 20 dollars per barrel, and during this period it rose to more than 80 dollars per barrel, and today its price ranges between the sixties and the seventies…… Here the following question arises: Why is the price of oil rising and why is it declining?

butterfly   Oil is starting to be less needed globally due to the trend towards clean energy, in addition to the Corona problem, so the oil price collapsed…..but OPEC +, in order to maintain the oil price, reduced production by 20%, so the price increased to $80, but production was 20% lower (the resources did not increase by price increase)

The great danger is in the future. Almost certain expectations refer to stopping the manufacture of cars and other means of transportation that run on fossil fuels in 2030, and this means that the consumption of fuel in the world will be a third of what it is now in 2030, but it will gradually decrease, meaning that after four years, the resources will be reduced.

The country so that the country’s resources are not enough to cover half the pensions, and we will then have to reduce another dinar so that each dollar will be equivalent to 3000 dinars, this is of course if the price of a barrel of oil remains between 60-80 dollars, but if it drops more than this, we may have to reduce the dinar so that Each dollar is equivalent to 4000-6000 dinars, this reduction will not be optional, but obligatory. ……

The situation will worsen over the years, and the worst situation the country will face will be in 2030 when the need arisesGlobal oil is a third of what it is now and we will have to reduce the value of the dinar to unpredictable levels with the steady increase of the population and the labor force in Iraq during this decade……..

In the face of this global economic reality, is there a possibility to avoid this dangerous and unknown future?? Is there a possibility to set new policies and adopt correct planning to save and develop the country?? Answer: Yes and certainly, but what are the required steps??

butterfly   But before we go into this topic, I want to emphasize the fact that this matter is not my responsibility, nor the responsibility of any citizen who does not have executive authority, but the responsibility of the current and future Prime Minister and all officials, including ministers, representatives, and former and current advisors, and here I want to ask?? …and we want to know?? ….. what is their job??

They ruled the country for 18 years and this situation that we mention is known to any person who has knowledge of the economy,…… Why does a person accept himself to be prime minister or to be a minister??? Is he in order to brag about himself, so that they may call him the State of the President…..

I address my words to many of the political class: If you do not think as people responsible for 45 million people, you must, as soon as possible, abdicate the rule, because because of your ignorance, the country will collapse and about 45 million Iraqis will suffer from deprivation. Poverty and hunger after a few years, and I tell you that the people will curse you and history will curse you, and you will be a stain on the history of Iraq, just as Saddam was before you…….

We return again to our subject if we take a country like Dubai as an example for comparison, as it is the country that has achieved the fastest development and prosperity among the countries of the region. With a simple comparison, we discover that Iraq possesses many of the ingredients that Dubai lacks, and I can summarize them with five ingredients and characteristics:

1. At the time it imports Dubai has a lot of specialists such as engineers and others, Iraq has a surplus of them and many are unemployed.

2. Energy is abundantly available in Iraq, particularly the oil and gas that Dubai imports from Abu Dhabi.

3. Availability of the consumer market, as the population of Iraq exceeded 45 million people BC, while the population of Dubai was two and a quarter million with the arrivals

4. In Iraq there are great resources and two great rivers and minerals such as phosphate, sulfur, copper, iron and others,

5. In Iraq there is an environmental diversity between green plains, mountains, marshes and others.

With all these advantages of Iraq, which the Emirate of Dubai lacks, but we find that Dubai is the first country in the Middle East in terms of the speed of development, growth, progress and prosperity, and the availability of wide investment fields. ..

What is meant by the missing investment environment in Iraq?? They are three things:

1. The existence of administrative corruption in Iraq and the absence of Dubai from it

2. The loss of security in Iraq and its availability in Dubai

3. Some laws and instructions that obstruct investment in Iraq and are offset by laws that attract investment in Dubai

We want to be realistic and practical and not talk about theories… How can these three things be achieved??

We cannot eradicate corruption with a magic wand day and night, but within the current situation in Iraq, an acceptable degree of integrity can be achieved by restructuring the Investment Commission, removing the corrupt, installing people of known integrity, and giving them absolute executive powers so that investment licenses can be guaranteed within a period of time between Two to four weeks without paying any bribes and without any corruption, and not as is our current situation, where the investment leave takes between one and a half to three years, with huge amounts of bribes and commissions paid…..

butterfly   As for providing security, it can be achieved at an acceptable rate by allocating areas for investment with a high degree of safety, such as choosing areas close to international airports, such as Baghdad airport, Basra and Mosul airports, and others, and providing fortified industrial cities. In the country in the near future, God willing….

As for the laws and instructions obstructing investment, if there is a real intention, coordination can take place between the government and the parliament to make the appropriate amendments, as happened in the agreement between me and Mr. Far from corruption and was serious in the advancement of the country….

I assure that if we provide an investment environment and feasibility studies by specialized international companies for the projects we want to accomplish, we can bring hundreds of billions of dollars and we do not need grants, and we do not need donor conferences because providing funds is the simple part of the equation if the investment environment and feasibility studies are available as well.

We mentioned, within two years, we can complete thousands of industrial projects with interest according to the global LIBOR index, which does not exceed 2%, while the profits of factories in the third world, such as Iraq, range between 15-20% and provide job opportunities for millions of young people and achieve an income for the country that exceeds oil income, and do not forget What we mentioned previously of the agreement with China in the Belt and Silk Road Initiative and what it can achieve in terms of building infrastructure, the Faw port, dual railways, establishing airports, housing projects, even industrial projects and other projects like most of the developed countries of the world.

We are not inferior to them, but on the condition that it address To run the country people at the levelresponsibility and not like most of the political group who ruled the country during the past eighteen years….   rawabetcenter.com

butterfly   Promoting Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation in Iraq 19th December 2021 in Agriculture, Iraq Industry & Trade News ................ Project launched to promote inclusive economic growth and job creation in Iraq

A ceremony was held to formally launch the 'Strengthening the agriculture and agri-food value chain and improving trade policy' (SAAVI) project.

The five-year project worth EUR 22.5 million is funded by the European Union and is being implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in close collaboration with the Government of Iraq and other local partners.

Representatives from public and private sector, innovators, farmers, and development partners attended the event that served as an occasion to discuss opportunities and present solutions to build more inclusive agri-food value chains in the country.

A fast-paced business breakfast opened the day. ITC presented the key findings from the nation-wide market analysis for high potential agri-products. Private sector representatives shared their experiences in the Iraqi market offering ideas to improve the competitiveness of agribusinesses in the country.

butterfly   A plenary session brought together private sector actors, innovators, farmers, and development partners to discuss opportunities and present solutions to build more inclusive agrifood value chains from 'farm to fork'.

Participants experienced unique flavours and a live 'cooking demonstration' using ingredients from the local cuisine by a renowned chef. This was followed by a technical session dedicated to climate change risks and opportunities in Iraqi agrifood value chains concluded the event before the closing remarks.

SAAVI seeks to enhance the competitiveness of agriculture and related activities and improve trade policy in Iraq. It addresses farm and firm level challenges and strengthens the value chains in the agriculture sector. This is done through the elaboration of strategies for high potential products, by building productive and commercial agricultural value chain analysis, while introducing upgrades in the production and marketing systems through capacity building to farmers and firms, the provision of a wide range of business development services, and technical agriculture training, among others. By fostering more competitive food systems, SAAVI also makes a considerable difference in enhancing food security through the improvement of people's access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

SAAVI also builds the capacities of micro, small, and medium enterprises and broadens the knowledge and skills base for youth including training on entrepreneurship and business skills. Through SAAVI, technical and vocational skills programmes are also strengthened to better match the needs of the private sector.

butterfly   Support is given to policymakers and key institutions involved in the WTO accession process, including capacity building on trade negotiation, policy formulation, and coordination. WTO membership will help Iraq to complete domestic policy and reforms for the modernization of its business environment and achieve effective integration into global economy. Since the process of negotiation towards WTO accession is unique to each country, project activities will assist officials throughout the process.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Barbara Egger, Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Iraq said:

"The EU is proud to support the Iraqi government and its people in the development of the agricultural sector. SAAVI is a very important project that will provide an example of how public and private sector can work together in order to successfully promote diversification in Iraq by supporting agricultural value chains."

Dr Mahdi Al Jubori, Iraq's Deputy Minister for Agriculture and other high level government representatives participated in the launch ceremony.

butterfly   Ms. Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator also participated.

Ms. Pamela Coke Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre in her message on the occasion said:

"Together with the EU and the government of Iraq, ITC is excited to work with MSMEs in Iraq to increase their competitiveness. We see improved food production as a pathway to diversify the economy and create jobs. This can also support Iraq's accession to the WTO. In this way, SAAVI is contributing to inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth in Iraq."

In his speech, Mr. Eric Buchot, who leads the SAAVI project highlighted that:

"SAAVI builds the capacities and brings together key economic and institutional actors across the agrifood industry to enable Iraqi producers and firms to compete and connect to their own market".   (Source: UN)

Bobby Cahill   Nice article. Rawabet Center does a lot of in depth articles pertaining to Iraq's woes and Iraq's potential

butterfly   A lot of lengthy ones today.

butterfly  Two rockets strike Baghdad’s Green Zone near U.S. Embassy The Washington Times - Sunday, December 19, 2021

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/19/two-rockets-strike-baghdads-green-zone-near-us-emb/

No one was injured in the attack. The U.S. Embassy’s counter-rocket defense system destroyed one of the rockets, while the other struck near a national monument and damaged several vehicles.

Iraqi forces said they’ve launched an investigation into the attack, which is similar to past assaults launched by Iran-backed Iraqi militias. Those militias have routinely used rockets and drones to target U.S. forces stationed in Iraq and in neighboring Syria.

The attacks have become commonplace after a January 2020 U.S. airstrike at the Baghdad International Airport that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

The Biden administration this month formally ended America’s nearly two-decade combat mission in Iraq, though about 2,500 U.S. troops will remain in the country. Those forces will act as trainers and advisers to a global coalition battling the Islamic State terrorist network.

butterfly  Iraq inaugurates the RIPE NCC Government Roundtable

December 19, 2021 Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), in collaboration with the Communications and Media Commission in Iraq (CMC), successfully organized the 5th edition of the RIPE NCC Government Roundtable dedicated to Arab ICT ministries and regulators in the Middle East region on Monday, 13 December. The meeting was held virtually under the theme, “Internet in a Changing Environment”.

The event was attended by ministers, regulators, general directors and high-level governmental delegations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

The meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Arkan Shahab Al-Shaibani, Minister of Communications in Iraq. Minister Al-Shaibani pointed out the significance of such high-level discussions and dialogues and stated: “The topics presented for discussion today are very important to keep pace with the development of the Internet sector in our countries, which requires all of us to join hands and cooperate to reach tangible results.

Despite our different priorities, we are certain that this distinguished gathering that brings together decision-makers on one hand and experts on the other hand will meet the desired aspirations of our societies and achieve comprehensive development for our countries.”

butterfly   In his opening speech, H.E. Dr. Ali Almouayed, CEO of the Communications and Media Commission in Iraq, talked about the challenges that Arab countries face today and the need for cooperation to create suitable conditions for an open, secure and flexible Internet.

He said: “This RIPE NCC Government Roundtable has become the region’s unique platform for governments and the regulatory community to collaborate on Internet technical and regulatory issues related to Internet number resources. Having the right cooperation environment is an important matter that contributes to overcoming obstacles to the development of the ICT sector, especially the Internet.”

H.E. Saleem Al-Ozianah, Chairman and CEO of the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority in Kuwait (CITRA), highlighted the efforts underway to meet Kuwait’s national strategy “New Kuwait 2035”, which aims to develop and promote investment in communications and information technology, and the use of modern and innovative technology.

He added: “I am aware of the wonderful efforts and successful work of our colleagues at the RIPE NCC during the last period, which resulted in tangible progress in several aspects, the most important of which is placing the Arab countries on the world map in terms of transition to IPv6. We thank them for their professionalism and continued support.”

butterfly   H.E. Raed Alfayez, Deputy Governor for Information Technology and Emerging Technologies, Communications and Information Technology Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (CITC), underlined the important role of Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic and shared some of the Kingdom’s achievements related to Internet usage and speed, network security and IPv6 deployment.

He also emphasized the significance of collaboration, stating: “We stressed the importance of collaboration and cooperation between the RIPE NCC and the Arab regulatory authorities that led to the smooth development of Internet infrastructure and its security, supporting other vital sectors.”

H.E. Mohammed Al-Zarooni, Acting Director General, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority in the United Arab Emirates (TDRA), stressed the important role the Internet plays in supporting and developing societies and economies and shared the country’s achievements in 5G and IPv6 deployment.

He praised the RIPE NCC’s efforts: “We recognise that working together and enabling partnerships are key to achieving our common goals and taking us into the future. We at TDRA commend RIPE NCC for its constant support to this mission and we reiterate our commitment to continuing our role as a vital partner in advancing Internet development in the country and throughout the region.”

H.E. Dr. Nayel Aledwan, vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in Jordan (TRC), said: “Our commission has committed to collaborating with the RIPE NCC to support the development of IPv6. The RIPE NCC has already convened numerous trainings and webinars in Jordan to increase awareness of IPv6 among a variety of stakeholders, including Internet providers and the private sector. Our commission will continue its efforts to encourage the deployment of IPv6.”

butterfly   H.E. Hans Petter Holen, Managing Director of the RIPE NCC, thanked CMC for virtually hosting the roundtable and praised the role that Arab regulators play in complementing the RIPE NCC’s efforts in the region.

He added: “The success of this roundtable for the fifth consecutive year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, shows the importance of the collaboration and cooperation between the RIPE NCC and governments in the region. This roundtable is the perfect venue for an inclusive dialogue, discussing common interest topics, developing solutions, and fostering an enabling environment for a more stable, reliable and secure Internet.”

H.E. Christian Kaufmann, RIPE NCC Executive Board Chairman, closed the opening session: “The Executive Board of the RIPE NCC is very interested in understanding the needs and challenges of the Middle East, especially in terms of Internet development, in order to provide the best support for regulators and operators in this area.”

The discussions started by sharing the challenges discussed at the 4th Government Roundtable meeting held in Kuwait and the actions taken during the year in response to these challenges. It was presented by Chafic Chaya, Regional Communications Manager at RIPE NCC.

Hisham Ibrahim, Chief Community Officer at RIPE NCC, led and moderated the discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing Internet development and sustainability in Arab countries, IPv6 deployment to support business development and the digital economy, Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) and network routing security, the role of regional Internet exchange points (IXPs) in traffic and data exchange, adaptive policies and regulatory frameworks for the changing environment, and capacity building for the development of the Internet.

butterfly   A great line-up of experts contributed to the panel: Sami Daham, director of Internet Service development at CITC; Abdulrhman Almarzouqi, director of Internet Policy and Advancement at TDRA; Marwan Maher, technical manager at CMC; in addition to Marco Hogewoning, Public Policy and Internet Governance Manager; Jad El Cham, Learning and Development Program Manager; and William Johnson, Instructional Designer at the RIPE NCC.

The meeting was also attended by H.E. Omar Hamdan al-Ismaili, CEO, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Oman (TRA); H.E. Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Plenipotentiary, director of ICT administration at League of Arab States (LAS); HE Maher Al-Saleh, Director of ICT administration, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); H.E. Bassel Al-Ayoubi, Director General of Investment and Maintenance at the Ministry of Telecommunications in Lebanon; and Mirjam Kühne, RIPE Chair, in addition to high-level delegations and representatives from governments and regulatory authorities.

The roundtable event served as a successful follow-up to the previous year’s events held in the region. The RIPE NCC endeavours to maintain stable and resilient Internet connectivity through its provisioning of IP address registration, maintaining key infrastructure, contributing to the security of Internet routing and offering capacity development. The online event falls in line with the RIPE NCC’s strategy to support governments with the needed technical expertise to serve the wider Internet community. https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/iraq-inaugurates-the-ripe-ncc-government-roundtable/

butterfly   out again............bbl

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