Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Iraq Procurement 2004
forum opens
AMMAN (Petra) — Iraq Procurement 2004 forum and exhibition opened on Monday,
providing the opportunity for Iraqi businessmen to meet with representatives of
global companies hoping to play a role in the rebuilding of the war-stricken
state.
At the opening ceremony, Iraq's interim Electricity Minister Ayham Al Samarrai
described the forum as a major opportunity to determine the procurements needed
to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure and main sectors, especially the energy,
health, transportation and water sectors destroyed or severely damaged during
the US-led war on the country.
“As these sectors address citizens' basic needs, their rebuilding will reflect
positively on Iraq's stability,” Samarrai indicated
According to the minister, Iraq's foremost challenge now is having the donor
countries meet their commitments. He attributed the problems to the fact there
is not a clear idea on the mechanisms for donor countries' dispensing with the
grants to rebuild Iraq.
Ministry of Industry and Trade Secretary General Farouq Hadidi stressed that the
Jordanian government has not spared any effort to provide all facilities for
foreign and Arab countries seeking to enter the Iraqi market.
In light of its geographical location and its special ties with Iraq, the
Kingdom has worked to build a long-range strategic relation with the Iraqi
government through signing contracts and visits-exchange, he remarked.
Meanwhile, Iraqi British Business Council Chairman Mostafa Al Bazergan
highlighted the forum for providing the chance for the Iraqi private sector to
directly meet with their counterparts from different world countries, pointing
out that it will save the Iraqis a whole lot of suffering which they had to
undergo as a result of working with intermediaries during the time of the food
and drug programme.
An exhibition hosting over 50 regional and global companies will be held on the
sidelines of the forum, providing the companies with the chance to display their
products.
During the three-day event, certain projects in the fields of IT, healthcare,
energy production, telecommunications, banking, agriculture, water and sewage
system will be presented to foreign investors.