Political Province

Basra Governor and delegation of Political, Tribal and Public Figures from Al Midaina District visit Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim Source: almejlis.org Date: July 28, 2015

Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim, the head of the ISCI, met a delegation chaired by the governor of Basra, Majid Nasrawi and Al Midaina district figures and the members of BPC as well as the family of the martyr Muntazer al Halfi who was shot dead during the last demonstrations that took place in Al Midaina district demanding better services and jobs with the oil companies.

Ammar al-Hakim said the peaceful demonstrations are a right legislated by Iraqi constitution to the citizens and must not violate, advising Basra SF to protect the demonstrators and to deal with them as citizens demanding their constitutional rights. AL-Hakim added that the inhabitants of the district demands were unachievable, and there was possibility to come up with acceptable solutions for the district citizens by the collaboration between the ministries and Basra local government.

Al-Hakim said the federal ministries must draw its attention to solve Basra's problems especially which related to the old laws. According to him, probably the authorities of nine federal ministries will deliver next month to the PCs, reducing the administrative and technical problems that impede the authorities of the governor and his staff in delivering services and resolving problems of Basra and Al Midaina district in particular.

Al Hakim hoped that the demands would not turn into a political conflict. He also called to monitor the insinuators who hunted the problems and to prevent those who want to sow discord between the Iraqis from reaching their goal. Al Hakim finally promised personally follow up on the problems and coordinate with the ministers of oil and transport and other ministries with respect to the issues of the lands that contain oil, the incoming labor, unemployment and others.

MoO's Minster responses to Al Midaina District demands Source: almaalomah.com Date: July 30, 2015 Amer Al-Fayez,Basra PM and citizens' bloc member at PM underlined that Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi responded to the inhabitants of the Al Midaina district demands especially which related to MoO. Abdul Mahdi granted 25 dunums of farmer lands which MoO occupied to exploit by the Al Midaina district and supplied them with agricultural equipment on the ministry's account or Abdul Mahdi's personal account. Additionally, oil minister ordered to establish recruitment offices to receive the requests of unemployment in Basra and to facilitate hiring them with oil companies and the priority gave to the inhabitants of the Al Midaina district in hiring with the oil companies.

UNAMI visits Basra Source: BPC Media Office Date: July 26, 2015 Senior of Planners within UNAMI, Kanan Rajatham held a meeting with the chairman of BPC, Sabaha Al-Bazony to widen the ways of cooperation between Basra Gov. and UNAMI. Al-Bazony added that BPC looked forward to have supports in building the capacity of the employee of Basra Local Gov.in the fields of management, transferring powers and implementing projects..

Rajatham committed to continue engaging with the local authorities of Basra to identify the areas where the UNAMI assistance required. He added that UNAMI representative and his deputy in planned to visit Basra at the end of Aug, 2015 to strengthen the relationship between and UNAMI and local Governments in the south region especially with Basra Gov. Bader Org. bloc push off BPC's session Source: almirbad.com Date: July 29, 2015 The head of Legal Committee at BPC Ahmed Abedalhussein said that Bader Org bloc at BPC left BPC's regular session protesting against recent tension which occurred between Head of Bader Org bloc at BPC Ahmed Suilit and Waleed Kaytan, the deputy chairman of BPC, and member of Citizens bloc at BPC. The tension stirred up because the allocations of cleaning budget for Basra districts. Suilit rejected to allocate one-third of $50 m for cleaning Basra districts, being requested by Basra municipality while Citizens bloc demanded to allocate $ 53 m for National cleaning company in to complete its work in the center of province.Suilit called BPC to be fair in distributing the allocations to all of Basra districts.

Economic

Basra Province

International Training Academy opens in Basra Source: linkedin.com/grp Date: July 25, 2015 The Basra Technical College has entered an agreement with a group of international training companies to develop an international-level training center. The state-of-the-art facilities will be located on the grounds of the College, with additional locations planned in the future. This major initiative is supported by the Basra Governorate and will involve three International Training Partners: Spie-Edgo, Techma and Pigier-Trema (Basra Training Academy). The population and the employers of the region will be offered quality programs which to date were available only outside Iraq. By reducing the costs and disruptions associated with overseas training, international programs offered by the Basra Centre, the programs will become accessible to many more Iraqis. These programs will cover issues such as; women development, health awareness, first-aid, road safety, student's orientation, career fairs, English and IT support programs in schools, small business initiatives, employability training for unemployed, trade-oriented educational programs, and many other vital issues. This will help in limiting the dependence of the southern economy on costly imported human resources.

Penspen opens new office in Basra Source: technicalreviewmiddleeast.com Date: July 26, 2015 UK-based engineering firm Penspen has announced that it will expand its Middle East division. The company announced that it wants to invest in a new office in Basra, in a bid to serve its Iraqi market and extend its geographical reach with its fourth location in the region, after Abu Dhabi, Doha and Khafji. Penspen also revealed three new senior appointments to bolster its regional team, with two new figures joining from other firms and one being appointed internally. Ahmed Al-Dadah joined Penspen from Amec Foster Wheeler as the new business development director for engineering and property management (E&PM), while Na’el Barghouthi was named as director of asset integrity for the Middle East Asia after joining from Wood Group Kenn. GCPI awarded contract to Rolls-Royce Source: scp.gov.iq Date: July 27, 2015 General Company for Ports of Iraq awarded a contract, within the Japanese loan, to Rolls-Royce Co. to supply the projects of the ports in Basra with marine spare parts. The Director General of the GCPI, Captain Omran Radi Thani said the contract is the third of a six contracts signed by the GCPI based on extra money of the first stage of Japanese assistance to the GCPI. The general manager of the AL-Hasaq Untied Co. representative of Rose Royce Co. Mr. Essam Abd Fahd al-Jabri said the contract value at IQD 8 billion and extends to thirty-two weeks. It was worthy to mentioning that the first and second contracts of the first stage which signed in the last June entered into implementation stage. On the other hands, Shell plans to reconstruct brigade in Deyer district, North of Basra. builds $2.5 billion power plant in Basra Source: presstv.ir Date; Jul 28, 2015 Iran is building a natural gas combined cycle power plant in Basra at a cost of $2.5 billion .The project, being carried out by Iran’s MAPNA Group, aims to add 3,000 megawatts and the project is set to boost overall power generation capacity by 20% in Iraq which plans to generate 20,000 megawatts by 2016 of electric power to Iraq’s national grid. The facility will be completed in four years, with the first unit expected to join the national grid in early 2017.The deal, signed with the Iraqi-Jordanian Shamara Group, follows MAPNA’ssuccessful implementation of and power plants which will imminently receive the Iranian gas through a pipeline to begin operation. The deal includes the Iraqi government’s guaranteed purchase of the electricity produced at the power plant for 15-17 years, Shamara CEO Ali Shamara said, adding his country will finance the entire project. MAPNA will supply equipment, including gas and steam turbines and boilers besides engineering and supervising the project. Shamara said that security issues have been taken into account in deciding to build the facility in Rumaila in the relatively stable southern Basra which is only 60 km from the Iranian city of Ahvaz.“MAPNA’s reliability and its facile accessibility is one of the reasons which convinced us to cede the project to this company since it can immediately report to the site in any eventuality. MMWP receives Japanese's delegation Source: alforatnews Date: July29, 2015 Basra water project and Japan's grant to municipality were the matter of discussion between the Technical deputy of MMWP Jabber Abd Haji and Japan's economic advisor and acting of Japanese mission to Iraq. Haji assured to complete the project of Basra water within timeline. He added that MMWP committed to support Hitachi and to deal with all the obstacles faced the four phases of the project. Japan's economic advisor praised MMWP's supports to the project and assured that Japanese's companies abided to achieve the project based on contractual principle

The construction of Iran –Basra gas pipeline 55% completed Source: almirbad.com Date: July 30, 2015 Head of Gas and Oil committee at BPC Ali Shadad Al-Faris underlined that the constructions of Iran-Basra gas pipeline could supply power station in Basra reached to 55%. Al-Faris added that some technical and bureaucracy complications brought the delay of the project for a while.

On 8 October, 2013; the Iraqi government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian side to build a gas pipeline starting from Iranian Abadan city to Basra Rumaila area with a length of 89 kilometers. According to Basra authorities, this project, if completed, will operate stations that may generate 3000 M/W. Security

Basra Province

Tenths of protestors surrounded the Governorate building Source: Iraqpress Date: July 28, 2015 Tenths of the members of Local Councils crowded in the front of the Basra governorate gate demanding for payment of their salaries. The protestors accused Basra Gov.that it based mainly on Selectivity, favoritism and for political loyalty in paying salaries to some of Local Council members and neglected the others. At the same time, Basra railways employee's started the demonstration to demands their late salaries payment.

Criminal incidents increase in Basra Source: almirbad.com, TradeLink Date: July 30, 2015 During getting monthly salaries, gunmen stormed into primary school in Abo al-Khaseeb district and killed two teachers and injured four. Basra SF classified the incident classified as an armed robbery. On the other hand, social activists in Basra plan to start demonstration on Aug. to demands for jobs and better services. The activities added that the demonstration officially approved by Basra local government. Moreover, gunmen killed two oil policemen while they guarded an oil well No. 15 in Zubair area, West of Basra. The attackers stole the policemen's guns, including 4 Kalashnikovs and one BKC.SF sources believed that the aim of the attck was to steal the guns, not a terrorist action. Thi-Qar Province

Source: almirbad.com Date: July 29, 2015 Thi-Qar citizens angered over electricity shortage and over the Iraqi government’s inability to provide the basic necessities of life.