Ministry of Electricity in coordination with the National Investment Commission are pleased to announce an investment opportunity to construct three solar power stations and one wind power station with a capacity that ranges between (5-10) MW in Diwaniya, Najaf and Misan provinces according to investment law No. 13 for the year 2006 as amended taking in to consideration the following specifications:

	Province	Proposed Site	Type of Energy
1	Diwaniya	Dagharah (50 donum)	Solar
2	Diwaniya	Al- Suniyah (50-60 donum)	Solar
3	Najaf	Al- Haideriyah (200 donum)	Solar
4	Misan	Ali al- Gharbi (to be allocated according to the wind Turbines path)	Wind

 

Investors willing to invest in this opportunity should submit an interest letter to the National Investment Commission within (30) days from the date of publishing this announcement with providing a profile that contains the following:

• Project feasibility study that matches with the one arranged by the Ministry of Electricity (which can be obtained with the information confidentiality form when visiting NIC)
• Signing the information confidentiality form when visiting NIC
• Preliminary engineering plans
• Financial competency with the details of the project funding sources
• Duration and stages of project implementation
• Similar accomplished projects

The project will enjoy the following privileges:

• Tax and fees exemptions according to investment law provisions
• Ministry of Electricity, NIC and provincial governments shall undertake providing all facilitations to investor in order to obtain all licenses and approvals needed through the Ones Stop Shop in addition to providing facilitations during the implementation and operation stages
• The investor has the right to repatriate capitals, revenues and workers fees according to the CBI regulations after paying all financial dues

 

For any further information please contact us through:

32_commercial.dg@moel.gov.iq –Attention: Mr. Ra’ad Qassem. Director General- Ministry of Electricity

Or  oss@investpromo.gov.iq   National Investment commission

With the attendance of the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy affairs

NIC and Hanawah South Korean Company sign Bismayah New City infrastructure contract

A contract for achieving Bismayah city infrastructure and external services had been signed Sunday 5^th of April.15 between the Iraqi National Investment Commission and Hanawah South Korean Company.

The event was attended by the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy affairs, Mr. Baha al- Araji, Head of the Parliamentary Committee for Economy and Investment, Mr. Jawad al- Polani and Bismayah project supervising technical committee.

Mr. Baha al- Araji, through his speech in the event, stressed the importance of Bismayah project in solving the housing crisis in Baghdad, praising the NIC role in pushing investment wheel in the whole country and its role in supervising this project in particular.

Deputy Prime Minister also referred to a number of factors that contributed in hindering the investment process in Iraq including the complications found in the investment law in addition to the region exceptional conditions. He added that often crisis participate in creating successful states and economies and Iraq is now suffering of financial crisis, the matter that led all concerned officials to think about activating the most important economic substitute which is “Investment”, referring to a bunch of important decisions taken by the Council of Ministers in this regard and especially in the Oil and Energy sector that included accelerating visa granting to be obtained within a period not exceeding 72 hours with facilitating the procedures of customs and entering materials and machines for investment purposes.

In his turn, Mr. Jawad al- Polani, head of the Parliamentary Committee of Economy and Investment declared that continuing a big company like Hanawah in working in such a huge project like Bismayah is sending a message to companies willing to invest in our country that Iraq is a fertile investment environment, he also called for forming a joint operations room for supervising investment projects in all provinces that can specify shortages and work together to remove them.

Dr. Sami al- Araji, NIC Chairman introduced through his speech with which the event started a detailed explanation of the services file and what had accompanied it since 2012 until the contract signing moment.

NIC Chairman highly appreciated the role of the Council of Ministers and the Iraqi Parliament in allocating the needed funds from 2015 budget to achieve Bismayah city services in the way that actively participate in constructing a completely modern city for more than 600 thousand people which can be considered as a model to be followed in establishing the 1 million housing unit project in all Iraqi provinces.

Al- Araji also declared that the current plan is to deliver 7000 housing unit with full services at the end of this year while the process of building new units is moving forward according to the main project plan to be delivered in a successive manner.

Hanawah Co. Chairman pledged, in his turn, that his company will do its best and will work day and night to achieve its commitment according to the agreed specifications and timings, adding that signing this new contract shall make the city enjoy all needed infrastructure like electricity, water and sewage treatment in addition to schools, hospitals and clinks, police stations and civil defense institutions…etc.

The event was also attended by a number of high officials in Hanawah South Korean Company who arrived to Baghdad particularly to attend the signature of the contract in addition to the Directors Generals in the National Investment Commission.

A group of the students of The University of Technology visit Bismayah New City site

Bismayah project managing team organized a visit for a group of engineering students of the University of Technology to Bismayah project site in order to see the latest construction technologies adopted in building the housing units and infrastructures in the new city.

An official source in Hanawah Co. said that engineering post graduate, Master degree and PHD degree students were included in the visiting group, clearing that a technical presentation was delivered to them covered the mechanisms of administration adopted in running the pre casting factories and the modern technologies used in operating them and storing the products.

The second station for the group was the pre casting factories that include five main factories and 9 supporting ones with a design capacity of 80 housing unit/ day, these factories are considered as the biggest in the Middle East. The visit was extended to cover the achieved buildings in the project where questions and answers were exchanged between students and the project Iraqi and Korean engineers who gave the satisfying answers for all inquires.

Professors and student of the University of Technology showed their highest admiration in the methods followed to achieve the project assuring that such visits can add a lot to develop their information and field experience in construction sector.

 

 

Under the Slogan

“Solid Investment Law achieves development goals and meets investor’s ambitions”

With big local and international attendance

Iraq holds the first International Investment and Economy Conference

Baghdad witnessed Wednesday the 4^th to Thursday the 5^th of Feb.15 holding the first International Investment and Economy Conference under the patronage of Dr. Saleem al- Joboury, Head of Iraqi Parliament and organized by the Parliamentary Committee of Investment and Economy in cooperation with NIC and with the attendance of high level legislative and executive officials in addition to a number of ambassadors to Baghdad, local and international businessmen and investors.

The conference works started with a speech by Dr. Rosch Nuri Shawees, Deputy Prime Minister through which he said that the investment process in Iraq had been affected negatively by several factors as adopting old inherited laws that contradict with the investment law, beurocrasy, land allocation problems, administrational and financial corruption and the weak punitive measures taken against it in addition to the old fashioned banking laws that can’t cope with the modern investment trends.

Shawees continued, saying that achieving full economic jump requires ensuring stable investment climate reinforced by legislations and laws with comprehensive cooperation between legislative and executive authorities in this regard and cancelling all old laws that contradict investment goals, referring to the government’s determination to reinforce economic growth in Iraq and encourage investment through finding suitable solutions for all obstacles facing investors in the country.

Mr. Jawad al- Polani, Head of the parliamentary committee for Investment and Economy assured the Iraqi government keenness to adopt any real initiative to diversify economy and create sustainable economic development, stressing that an investment conference or investment law is not enough to enhance investment in Iraq, but we are in need for a package of laws that can organize the investment process in whole.

Meanwhile, NIC chairman specified five solutions to remove obstacles that face investment process, if applied, shall make a dramatic jump in investment through activating the One Stop Shop to attract big investors and get rid of centrality in decision making in order to achieve economic reform.

Al- Araji also stressed land allocation problem addressed by investment law No. 13 for the year 2006. It obliged public entities to provide useful lands to NIC in order to be granted to investors. This article was not activated; therefore, we should seriously consider allocating investment lands to be available within our investment map in each province.

The other issue that Al- Araji addressed was financing investment projects by reconsidering banks law No. 94 for the year 2004 aiming at making it of developmental nature in addition to being commercial, referring that there is a suggestion to the Central Bank of Iraq to fund newly established private banks in addition to the Industrial, agricultural, real estate and other banks. NIC proposed fund would be of 5 billion $ with 0 interest as performed to activate Small & Medium projects in US and EU.

After delivering all speeches of officials, Head of Parliamentary Committee of Investment and Economy announced the hearing session arranged to listen to Iraqi, Arab and foreign investors’ requirements and problems when German and Turkish ambassadors reviewed number of impediments facing their countries’ investors and companies in Iraq. Iraqi investors required privatizing the Iraqi state owned and mixed sector companies especially those which suffer from lack of finance according to a specified time table.

Council of Ministers’ Advisors Commission Chairman, Mr. Thamir Al- Ghadhban also delivered a speech during the event through which he stressed the Government’s real willingness to change and benefit from the past lessons, adding that the current economic pressure is imposing on government taking a series of reform actions that enable the private sector to take its role according to a strategy will be announced at the end of next week, assuring that a study, have already been laid down to privatize the public and mixed sectors, will soon be submitted to the General Secretariat of Ministers Council within a comprehensive strategy under the title of “Restructuring and Reform of State Owned Companies”.

Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mr. Ali Al- Alaq stressed, in his turn, the importance of announcing the state investment projects for investors according to investment law No. 13 for 2006 as amended, adding that the central bank had taken a package of procedures like increasing cash in private banks to support investment process in the country.

In the second day of the conference, there was a speech delivered by Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdy, Minister of Oil who admitted that investment in Iraq is currently facing big challenge with lots of obstacles, the matter that prompted the Iraqi government and parliament to lead important economic reforms aiming at creating new investment climate free of hindering laws. Abdul Mahdy referred that a number of Ministries and local provincial governments started to stranglehold the investment process under the pretext of pertaining the public wealth and saving the provinces. That forms one of the most serious factors that create a dismissing investment environment.

Minister of Oil also said that Oil sector is one of the biggest investment sectors especially after the licensing rounds and the international companies trending to participate.

Provincial investment opportunities, achieved and under construction investment projects were presented by the Provincial Investment Commissions Chairmen with prevailing the most prominent privileges that each province enjoys.

The works of the second day of the conference included also submitting green papers that were divided among several committees regarding the reforming actions required to be done on many laws contradicting with the investment law. These green papers were discussed in details in order to reach satisfactory recommendations can contribute to the reconstruction process of Iraq with wide participation of the private sector.

Investment Opportunity

Babylon Investment Commission is pleased to announce completing the procedures of specifying the Industrial Zone borders in Al- Kefel area to be extended on parts of the lots numbered 17/1 and 17/6 on total area of 3000 Donum according to investment law No. 13 for the year 2006, amended.

Investors are invited to invest in this zone according to the following conditions:

• The zone is allowing all environment polluting industries of types (A, B, and C) excluding Bricks and Asphalt factories.
• Investor is required to provide the following documents annexed to his/her filled application:

– Economic and technical feasibility study for the project

– The project technical drawings

– The investor’s official identification papers and documents

– Financial competency from an accredited bank with the project funding details

– A clear time table for completing the project phases

– Previous similar achieved projects

• The investor shall obtain all privileges and guaranties of investment law as tax and customs exemptions, transfer of capitals, revenues and workers fees, in case the investor is a foreigner, according to the instructions of the Central Bank of Iraq.
• Applications submitted through the email shall be accepted, providing that official documents are provided before granting the investment license.
• For further information, please visit Babylon Investment Commission website www.bic.gov.iq or send an email to info@bic.gov.iq

In order to gurrantee Iraqi workforce rights

Hanawah Co. opens an office for Iraqi workers affairs next month

The vocational training center manager in Bismayah project site announced the date of opening the office of Iraqi workers affairs at the beginning of next February which will receive all complaints and suggestions of Iraqi workers in Bismayah project in order to find solutions for all problems through discussing them with the concerned sides in Hanawah co. and NIC.

Eng. Wisam Salah added to NIC media office that the training center will start a new training course within the few coming days for those willing to work in the project, stating that priority in employing shall be given to unemployed workers from al- Wehda district that is adjacent to the project site after filling an application in which the applicant should reveal his/her education obtained and social status.

Meanwhile, the training center manager mentioned that 2 specialized training courses had been organized by the center for the project workers the first regarding extending over load cables under the ground while the second was about programming for engineers and both courses lasted for 1 week in addition to holding training courses in concrete steel and carpentry templates that receive 60 trainees each time it is held with 170 thousand ID monthly.

Worth mentioning that Bismayah vocational training center is the first one opened by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs that is specialized in construction works in project sites with immediate employing for graduates after course completion.

Out of 14 buildings in the sector A-2

Starting the construction of 8 of Type B units in Bismayah housing project

Works in type (B) “the modern style” housing units in Bismayah project had started, as 8 buildings are being currently constructed out of 14 to be included in sector A-2.

A responsible source in the project site said that the work in this sector is moving rapidly reaching floor 7, adding that the modern type units had been designed to be similar to the traditional ones in areas and outer appearance of the buildings where each one have 10 floors but with tiny differences in window types and the internal design of the unit.

The modern type unit is designed to suit families who prefer modern style with perfect exploitation of area where living room is open to kitchen.

Meanwhile, finishing work is continuing in sector A-1 to put the final touches, since it is planned for it to be handed over to registrars in the mid of this year, while on the other hand, finishing work is also being done to Hanawah marketing tower which is to be opened in Feb.2015.

For Establishing the First Airport for Air Cargo in Iraq

Iraq and Kuwait sign the contract of Diwania International Commercial Airport

NIC and Diwania governorate signed on the 21^st of Jan,15 an investment contract with al- Nasiriyah Kuwaiti company to establish Al- Diwania International Commercial Airport. The contract was signed with the attendance of Mr. Baha Al- Araji, Deputy Prime Minister and a number of Parliament members in addition to Diwania Governor and provincial council chairman and members, while the Kuwaiti side was represented by Mr. Ghassan Al- Zawawi, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Baghdad and Shekha Iman Nasir al- Sabah, chairman of al- Nasiriyah Kuwaiti group of companies.

Deputy Prime Minister assured in his speech during the ceremony that investment in Iraq was a need and now it is a crucial must that the government is seriously considering in submitting all facilitations and privileges to the companies willing to invest in the country according to Iraqi laws, appreciating the Kuwaiti positive stance towards Iraq.

In his turn, Mr. Jawad Al- Polani, Chairman of the parliament Investment and Economy committee said that establishing such big projects in the provinces would be an important start up for economic development there, announcing that the beginning of February shall witness large preparations to optimize the legal environment and promote investment in Iraq expecting investment volumes to reach more than 180 billion $ during the forthcoming phase in the various economic fields.

NIC chairman, Dr. Sami al- Araji had started the ceremony with a welcome speech during which he asserted that this project will be the first nucleus for development in Diwania province and it is the first project in Iraq for Air cargo and establishing a free zone provided with all logistic services, praising the role of Diwania governor and the chairman of the provincial Council who led successful negotiations starting with choosing the executing company and ending the final phase of signing the contract.

NIC chairman highly evaluated the supporting role of the Council of Ministers who had voted for the project implementation, and added that NIC had checked the history of the Kuwaiti company and its supporting companies finding them one of the successful companies in the field and completely efficient to execute such an important edifice.

Dr. Ammar al- Madani, Diwania governor explained that the governorate had worked to make the notion of establishing a commercial airport in the province a success through negotiating with the concerned sides in the central government who had welcomed the notion and as a result a big company was selected to implement the project according to laws adopted in record time assuring that the project is aiming at reviving the commercial activities in Diwania and other adjacent provinces.

Kuwaiti Ambassador in Iraq congratulated the Iraqi side for its capability to attract the Kuwaiti companies to invest in the Iraqi market and also congratulated the Kuwaiti company in choosing the Iraqi promising economy to invest in, confirming that Iraq and Kuwait always had strong historical relations that can’t be changed under any circumstances.

Shekha Iman al- Sabah, chairman of al- Nasiriyah Kuwaiti group of companies stated throughout her speech that this strategic project which comes within the framework of developing infrastructure in the Republic of Iraq forms a strategic point in the region in the field of air cargo and transport which will be implemented by Iraqi hands.

Worth to mention, that Diwania new airport had been planned for to be the main airport for transporting agricultural products and the center for import and distribution to the southern and middle areas of Iraq, since it will be the only one that distances less than 2 hours on land from all main cities in the south with total cost of 1,350,000,000 $ on an area of 7000 donum.

The airport was designed with modern units in a way that allows expansion in the future to meet expected demand and will also serve people in the southern areas and religious tourists in the coming years.

The airport, which focuses on attracting the logistic freight companies and international cargo agents, will include a takeoff runway with length of 3600 m and 45 m width the matter that makes it efficient to receive all types of planes.

The medical clinic in Bismayah project site opens 24/7

Bismayah project management is keen to provide all comfort and safety means to all workers through opening a medical clinic in the project site that provid its services 24/7.

The clinic is run by a specialized Iraqi and Korean medical cadre who provide the needed services to approxamatly 98% of injuries taking place during or after worktime beside conducting some small operations with high medical care while only 2% of injuries are taken to Baghdad hospitals. An emergency lounge is also available in the clinic in addition to constructing a dental clinic while all departments are supplied with the most modern medical equipment.