Administrator’s Weekly Report — Essential Services — 27 أيلول 2003

Administrator’s Weekly Report Essential Services 21-27 September 2003 Electricity/Power Electrical Generation Production Megawatts 1991-2001 3300 May 2003 200 21 September 03 3678 22 September 03 3771 23 September 03 3651 24 September 03 3535 25 September 03 3583 26 September 03 3675 27 September 03 3831 7-day Average 3675 Goal for 1 October 03 4,400 Goal mid-2004 6,000 Electricity Minister Ayham Sameraei visited the White House on September 22. He said the country was reaching pre-war levels of electricity and planned to build an additional 2000-3000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity by June 2004. “The added power,” he said, “will create more employment opportunities and allow for more oil production and water treatment.” Power production peaked at 3,831 MW on September 27, up from 3,254 MW on September 18. This was the second highest generation level since the end of the conflict. Output now equals nearly 75% of total plant output capacity. A 40-person team (CPA, Bechtel, USAID, Iraqi MOE, and CJTF-7) working around the clock for several weeks completed the repairs to the #4 furnace at the Najebia plant six days ahead of schedule. The plant now produces 80 MW. Since August 18, USAID has authorized $24.3 million so that Bechtel could provide additional support to manage sectors of the CPA’s 4400 MW and 6000 MW power generation programs. Source: CPA TF RIE Water Resources Irrigation Canals km (Estimated) Total Irrigation Canals in Iraq 27,000 Canals in need of clearance May 2003 20,000 Canals cleared as of 27 Sept 14,000 Canals being cleared per week 500 The Ministry of Water Resources operates 25 major dams and barrages and 275 pump stations. This Ministry produces 17% of Iraq’s electricity, irrigates 3.25 million hectares of land, and has 12,000 employees. The primary operational issue is security of the major dams and barrages. As of September 22, the Ministry had completed training for 730 trained, uniformed Facilities Protection Service officers to cover all 26 sites in Baghdad and four sites in Diyala Governorate (about 36% of the total FPS officers needed). The Job Creation Project generates employment for unskilled workers: 100,000 per day; 4 million man-days to date. On September 22, two Iraqi engineers arrived in California for six weeks to work with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) developing a reservoir simulation model for the Tigris-Euphrates System. Bechtel has awarded a subcontract for dredging and cleaning of the Sweet Water Canal settling reservoir in Basrah Governorate. The 90-day effort will remove 300,000 cubic meters of silt/sentiment and dramatically improve potable water flow to the region. Collection of water fee charges, which had been disrupted during the war, resumed on July 31. To date, however, only 15% of the projected fees nationwide have been collected due to lack of respect of the law. ESRI donated three computers with Geographic Systems Applications (GIS) software to the Ministry on 24 September. Public Works/Sanitation Public Works Minister Nesreen Berwari visited the White House on September 22 and gave positive assessments of the pace of Iraqi reconstruction efforts. “A Sense of progress is being sensed in the streets of Iraq...the work on restoring services to pre-war level has been achieved now we’re working on planning for the next year program,” said Berwari. Bechtel has completed clean-up of the unexploded ordnance (UXO) at Rustimiyah Wastewater Sewage Treatment Plant in Baghdad. USAID and Bechtel have reached a compromise with UNDP on implementation of the $4.4 million scope of work at the Rustimiyah-3 facility. UNDP will handle painting and construction of a security wall, while Bechtel will take over implementation of the overall project. Bechtel expects to begin work within the next several days. Bechtel awarded subcontracts for the civil works portion of the Al Hillah and Ad Diwaniyah sewage treatment plants. Physical renovations have begun at both sites. Construction for East of the Tigris Water Treatment Plant (formerly Saba Nissan) Extension 1 began this week. Contract amount is $16 million. Telecommunications The Source Selection for mobile wireless phone licenses is still ongoing. Fiber optic trunk connections have been restored between Baghdad and Najaf. The trunk line had been cut since the assassination of Ayatollah Bakir Hakim, an event which removed connectivity with southern Iraq. Fiber connectivity with As Sulaymaniyah Governorate was established on September 14. The fiber optic assessment of the northeastern branch (Baghdad to Mosul via Kirkuk) of Iraq is complete. The Iraq Telecommunications and Postal commission and Bechtel are replacing existing Chinese transmission equipment throughout the network. Chinese suppliers are no longer able to support any equipment in Iraq. Transportation The Bechtel Bridge Team prepared the subcontractor, “77 Construction,” in Mosul to begin work on the Khazir and Tikrit bridges this week. Bechtel’s explosive ordnance disposal subcontractor completed removal of all section 1 targets on the railroads in the port area and began clearing the main line. Commercial work is in full swing. Repairs on a floating bridge on the Tigris River in Al Kut (Wasit Governorate) were completed with the support of Research Triangle Institute (RTI). This bridge will improve traffic flow for an estimated 50,000 travelers per day. Local employees installed traffic signs on a Tigris River bridge in Al Kut (Wasit Governorate). The signs will improve safety and traffic flow on the major thoroughfare, benefiting 200,000 travelers. Dredging and salvage operations at Umm Qasr seaport were completed last week. The port grain facility is now 90% complete and is ready to receive and store grain deliveries from ships. Infrastructure Reconstruction Summary USAID has authorized $647.6 million through the Iraq Infrastructure Reconstruction (IIR) contract with Bechtel. USAID is in the process of preparing a $350 million contract modification for urgent power and water projects. Sector Total ($000) Power 212.4 Water/Sanitation 152.0 Buildings 65.4 UmmQasr Port 57.2 Airports 28.6 Surface Transport 31.2 Telecom 54.9 Authorized Work $601.8 Bechtel Fee 45.8 TOTAL $647.6 Source: USAID Activity Update IIR, 9/23/03 Bechtel has awarded $50 million in subcontracts to 81 Iraqi companies. Date Value of Subcontracts to Iraqi Firms ($000) Percent of Total Subcontracts Week of Sept 15 48 45.2% Week of Sept 27 50 46.3% Goal for Iraqi Firms 215 71% Source: USAID Activity Update IIR, 9/23/03 Education School Rehabilitation K-12 School Buildings in Iraq 13,597 Rehabilitations Underway 1,027 Rehabilitations Completed* 551* Goal: Rehabilitations to be Completed by October 1, 2003 1,000 *note: 894 are pending final inspection by Iraqi Reconstruction Office before they are considered complete. Rehabilitation totals include Coalition military commander’s funds and USAID-Bechtel contractors Source: Education Ministry Over 1,200 schools are being rehabilitated by 64 Iraqi subcontractors. About 36,000 Iraqi workers are employed in the schools program implemented through Bechtel. Rehabilitation on more than 200 schools was completed this week, doubling the number of schools completed from last week. Four Hundred and fifty-one (451) schools are now ready for classes nation-wide. Rehabilitation is underway on 600 more schools in Baghdad, 168 in northern Iraq, 210 in south-central Iraq, and 256 schools in southern Iraq. Tentative planning is underway for Ambassador Bremmer to visit a primary school in Baghdad to officially launch the opening of school on October 1. Back-to-school publicity campaign slogan is, “Improve Yourself, Improve Your country – School welcomes You October 1." Teachers Primary Secondary Pre War 160000 62000 Source: UN The USAID-funded project, Revitalization of Iraqi Schools and Stabilization of Education (RISE) implemented by Creative Associates, held its first Teacher Orientation Program under Iraq’s Accelerated Learning Program. The program trained educators from 64 secondary schools representing each of the 18 governorates. Topics discussed included values, culture, homework, student aggression, lesson plans, and cooperative learning. To date, RISE has awarded 51 small grants totaling $590,732. Higher Education Operational Universities Technical Schools Sept 2003 20 43 Source: CPA Education Six hundred (600) students graduated from Al-Nahrain University on 21 September on the Baghdad University Al-Jadiriah campus. This is the first of several planned graduations planned over the next month in the Baghdad area. Medicine, Law, science, Engineering and Political Science are specialties of Al-Nahrain (formerly Saddam University). In 2003 to date, some 2200 – 2500 university students have graduated, and another 500 are scheduled to graduate in Mosul on 2 October. USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives donated computers to the University of Mosul Medical College to restore internet access at the university. Health Dr. Khubair Abbas, Minister of Health and CPA Senior Adviser James Haveman traveled to Dubai to attend the World Bank/IMF meeting. They participated in planning efforts on behalf of the Ministry of Health for the upcoming Donors’ Conference. The Ministry of Health is working on plans to distribute a stockpile of wheelchairs and supplies, which were discovered recently in a Presidential warehouse, to war-disabled veterans and other handicapped Iraqis. International Medical Corps completed renovations of four clinics in Kirkuk. All community childcare units in Dhi Qar and al Muthanna’ governates have been reactivated. Training for the Targeted Nutrition Program has been completed. The Health Departments of Dhi Qar and al Muthanna’ Governorates (southern region) are expanding the Clinic and Health Support Building Infrastructure Project. The expansion will re-establish the drug supply pipeline and the immunization drug cold chain program. The Iraq Health System Strengthening (IHSS) project conducted a workshop this week to orient Kirkuk regional health staff on IHSS’s small grants program which offers rapid assistance for health projects. The Kirkuk Directorate for Health is rehabilitating the Kirkuk Allergy and Asthma Center with USAID and International Organization for Migration (IOM) support. The Ministry of Health is collaborating with CARE International and the World Health Organization to furnish two key medical laboratories in Baghdad with equipment and supplies that will help restore them to full operation. The Communicable Disease Control Center protects against endemic and communicable diseases. The Central Public Health Laboratory is a national biomedicine reference center that works to identify infectious diseases such as cholera, meningitis, hepatitis, and typhoid. Food Security Consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1483, CPA and WFP have successfully cooperated to identify and prioritize the contracts in the food and food handling sectors that were let under the Oil-For-Food (OFF) program. CPA expects that WFP will successfully renegotiate all prioritized contracts before Nov 21, 2003 when the OFF program will terminate. Renovations on a frozen food facility in Wasit Governorate have been completed. One million residents throughout the area will now have reliable access to safe food products. Labor and Social Affairs The new Minister for Labor and Social Affairs is Sheik Azara al-Ma’jun. There are an estimated five million Iraqis who are unemployed. The current unemployment rate is 60% of the total population, compared to 30% before the war. Short term job programs are ending. The Ministry is developing a new Labor Department and the capacity to expand, but many programs are still unfunded. The Ministry recognizes the immediate need to create jobs. To date, over 200,000 Iraqis have been hired temporarily by various CPA and CJTF-7 units. Within two months, however, the majority of these workers will be unemployed again and cause security concerns. The Ministry has identified the following groups which need employment or social assistance: Demobilized Conscript Soldiers: 300,000 Demobilized Career Soldiers: 250,000 Refugees: 130,000 Internally Displaced Persons: 70,000 Unemployed: 2,500,000 New Labor Entrants: 375,000 Displaced SOE Employees: 200,000 Widows, Divorcees and Female-Headed Households: 400,000 Handicapped: 350,000. There is no capitalization or mechanism in place to collect and establish a private pension system. Monetization needs additional time to be implemented. Over 35,000 Palestinians live in Iraq. There is potential for a humanitarian and political crisis since many were removed from their homes after the war and now live in refugee camps. DATE \@ "M/d/yyyy" 4/20/2004 PAGE 7