ANBAR FORUM PLANNING MEETING WITH DPM BARHAM SALIH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002552 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017 TAGS: ECON ENRG PGOV IZ SUBJECT: ANBAR FORUM PLANNING MEETING WITH DPM BARHAM SALIH REF: A. BAGHDAD 2494 ¶B. BAGHDAD 2431 ¶C. BAGHDAD 843 Classified By: Economic Minister Charles P. Ries for reasons 1.4 (b) an d (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Anbar Provincial Council Chair, Anbar Governor, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Barham Salih and Ministry of Finance Director General for Accounts met in Baghdad July 29 with PRT Anbar Team Leader Soriano, Economic Minister Ries, MNF-W Deputy Commanding Brigadier General Allen, and BGen Winfield Scott to discuss the next "Anbar Forum," a conference focused on economic development in the province, planned for early September. This forum aims to follow the military success in Anbar with economic gains, and to further develop the province's relationship with the central government. Specific requests brought to DPM Salih's attention at this meeting include the following: increasing the 2007 GOI budget allocation to Anbar Province from $107 million to $177 million, launching a free trade zone along the Jordanian border, providing crude oil to the refinery in Haditha, and repairing the road from Ramadi to Qaim on the Syrian border. DPM Salih welcomed these suggestions, and said he will designate staff to follow up on them in advance of the Anbar Forum. A task force from the Embassy, MNF-I Strategic Effects, and PRT Anbar will work with the Deputy Prime Minister's office to finalize preparations and potential deliverables for the September event in Ramadi. End summary. -------------- BUDGET EXECUTION -------------- ¶2. (C) As security in Anbar Province continues to improve, the PRT, MNF-W and provincial officials have begun to focus on developing key economic initiatives (ref A). The meeting with DPM Barham Salih is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the relationship between Anbar and the central government. Anbar Governor Ma'amoun Sami Rasheed described the progress the provincial government has made on budget execution. He said the provincial government has tendered projects equal to all of the 2007 budget allocation of $107 million (except for a 10% reserved for contingencies) and received 1000 bids for these projects. The Governor plans on signing the first contracts within the next two weeks. He said he could fully fund all of the projects submitted in the province if Anbar were allocated an additional $70 million. Reallocations by the Ministry of Finance are authorized by the 2007 Budget Law, in order to remove funds from under-spending provinces and ministries and allocate them to areas able to execute projects (ref C). By the end of the meeting DPM Salih agreed to support the extra funding on the condition that the provincial government had truly contracted its existing allocations. He also encouraged Dr. Ghazi, Director General of Accounts at the Ministry of Finance, to make sure that Anbar Province receives its allocations quickly and that provincial officials can prove that they have executed their existing allocations. (Note: DPM staff and Dr. Ghazi agree that the Ministry of Finance will not need the Council of Representatives' approval to make such transfers, given the 2007 Budget Law. End note.) DPM Salih requested that the Governor give him a written report about the additional needs of the province and report on progress in executing the existing allocations within the next two weeks. He said that the GOI should be ready to reallocate funds by the third week in August. -------------- ANBAR FREE TRADE ZONE -------------- ¶3. (C) The group also discussed the development of a free trade zone along the Jordanian border, with possible connections to free trade zones and telecommunication infrastructure within Jordan itself. Provincial officials and USG representatives underscored the benefits of a free trade zone in Anbar, and MNF-W noted the possibility of converting an old Iraqi military base for civilian use in this area. DPM Salih expressed a great deal of interest in the idea, linking it to proposals for free trade zones in Basra and Sulimaniyah (ref B). DPM Salih designated Ahmed Salman, his chief of staff, to work on this issue along with others in his office, and EMin offered staff support from the Embassy. DPM Salih requested further planning for this zone to take place within the next two weeks, particularly with regards to location, infrastructure requirements and business focus. Ahmed Salman told econoff separately that the legal framework for establishing free trade zones already exists in Iraq, based on a 1998 law, and said that the Minister of Finance had just signed a letter authorizing the establishment of a free trade zone in Sulimaniya. BAGHDAD 00002552 002 OF 002 -------------- HADITHA REFINERY AND THE RAMADI - QAIM ROAD -------------- ¶4. (C) The Provincial Governor also asked for assistance in revamping the Haditha refinery, providing sufficient electricity and sources of crude oil. The Governor said that this type of large project would have a significant effect on the economy in Anbar, lower prices for fuel, and address the high levels of unemployment. He also asked that the road between Ramadi and Qaim, which runs past the Haditha refinery, be repaired, as this will also allow for imports from Syria when the border crossing is open. DPM Salih said he would contact the Minister of Housing and Construction, responsible for public roads, and ask her to work on this road. Governor Ma'amoun Sami Rashid also noted the severe shortage of electricity in Anbar, and DPM Salih said that he would urge the Minister of Electricity to assist in finding a solution. -------------- REQUEST FOR HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION -------------- ¶5. (C) BGen Allen highlighted other economic initiatives in the province, including micro-loan projects with a capital of $1 million, and progress in building telecommunications infrastructure. He also supported the provincial official's request for GOI support for reconstruction of houses in Ramadi now that the security situation has improved. DPM Salih was initially opposed to this idea, because of the cost (estimated at $300 million) and because he considered such a program 'easy money' with few economic benefits. BGen Allen noted that such funding had been offered to Fallujah, and while estimates to repair the damage in Ramadi were high the actual costs would be less; in Fallujah settlements were 50% of claims and residents made up the difference through their own investment. EMin Ries encouraged the DPM to think of a program designed to take place over time with a combination of investment options, underscoring how important this reconstruction was to the people in Ramadi. DPM Salih agreed that a carefully designed plan for this reconstruction might work, and mused that perhaps the government could supply assistance "in kind" (cement, bricks, etc) to ensure reconstruction actually took place. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) This planning meeting was an important step towards developing concrete deliverables for the Anbar Forum in early September, which all present agreed should take place in the provincial capital of Ramadi. The provincial officials were enthusiastic about the prospects for progress in Anbar, and the Deputy Prime Minister committed to ensuring that the central government supported the province's development. A task force from the Embassy, MNF-I Strategic Effects, MNF-W and PRT Anbar will work with the Deputy Prime Minister's office to finalize logistical preparations and attainable deliverables for the September event in Ramadi. CROCKER