Dhi Qar province, those who refuse to join the privatization of electricity

Dhi Qar province, those who refuse to join the privatization of electricity


 term / Hussein factor

Electricity is still pose a dilemma for the Iraqis, it has been wasted because of the state treasury tens of billions of dollars and still receive a heavy shadow on the daily life of the citizens, which is reflected in the ongoing popular protests a week in the capital , Baghdad, and a number of other provinces.  
Adding to the problem complex in the eyes of some, the central government declared the twenty - sixth of February, agreeing to a project for the privatization of the electricity sector in a number of provinces, which faces rejection in most provinces for fear of rising wages required for this public service.
The southern province of Dhi Qar , which suffered a series of problems in the field of electricity notably the aging of networks and carrier lines of energy, accuses the words of members of the council and the Ministry of Electricity, intentionally cut the power supply for the citizens, in order to impose the privatization project, as complaining that the Standing her problem lies in the overlapping of powers with the center. Between this and that, activists see in the province, that the privatization of the electricity project aimed at the poor, and they see in compliance on the part of the federal government's policy of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, but they accuse the local government of colluding with the center to pass this project.
But local Dhi Qar government, trying hard to pay the charge it, as it confirms the Commission on oil and energy in the provincial council member Yahya Almusharfawi in an interview (to the extent), their rejection of the privatization project, says: We as a government and local sectors and popular currents in Dhi Qar, categorically reject privatization the price increase, it affects the slice of the poor and low - income people. He adds: There are a lot of people of the province, are unable to pay the electricity bill even at the lowest prices, how the case had doubled their wages after the privatization ?, he says: The electricity in direct contact with the lives of citizens and their daily requirements and Thouliha investment means increased wages.
So see the Economic Committee in the provincial council member Rashid Serail be interested in a project to privatize electricity, trying to promote the project in the north of Nasiriyah, but citizens met this rejection and disapproval, so they resorted to tear up some of the signs that have been suspended declaration for the privatization project.
It goes Serail in an interview (to the extent): The problem is that we are still living in a state of conflict over authority between local governments and the federal government, and the latter its ministries, ignoring local governments in a lot of the
things, following up: Although the electricity sector of the common terms of reference between the parties according to the constitution is not entitled a party to be alone with the organization and distribution of electric energy on the decision of the citizens, however Ahakatna to object to this decision, but there are those who ignore this truth , and the ministry 's decision in favor of privatization , even from within the province.
However popular government rejection of a project to privatize the electricity in most of the provinces Kalmtny, Wasit, Diwaniyah, Najaf, activists threatened in Dhi Qar province, to go to court if the government did not reverse its decision that, as civil rights activist Khalid Hashim Zaidi says in an interview (to the extent), wondering about the position of the legislative and executive governments in Dhi Qar, of the draft privatization of the electricity sector, which means imposing new pricing by investors in this area , which was adopted by the federal government , represented by the Ministry of Electricity, through the signing of the investment contract with private companies.
Zaidi adds: We held seminars several in this regard, and everyone was completely rejecting the project to privatize electricity, also stressed the need for continued pressure on the local and federal governments to Tnehma to sign the contract in this area, adding: In case of failure to respond to our demands, we will raise a lawsuit with the Public Prosecutor, as the first sponsor of public money and the rights of the citizen, to see how it will be considered by the Federal Court, the fact that the local government has become against the citizen.
Civil rights activist Karim Saidi also see, at the insistence of the federal government to implement a project to privatize the electricity sector in compliance of the policy of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, he said in an interview (to the extent), that since the year 2003 until now, we did not hear only statements about privatization and investment without any development in production, particularly in the electricity sector, especially since the declared positions of the majority of members of the local government executive in both the legislative, stresses that it is against privatization, but do not know who is the beneficiary of the privatization of government parties to be imposed in this way the people of the province, adding that , so we are against the privatization of the sector electricity and raise the prices being detrimental to the interests of citizens in Nasiriyah , which hosts more than 35% of them are below the poverty line.
Agree Khaled Thamer Nazareth, another activist who , with his colleague, that the biggest affected by the project to privatize electricity, they are poor segments that make up most of the population of the province who suffer from unemployment and destitution, deprivation and lack of basic services, pointing out that, based on a draft privatization did not put in account the deteriorating economic situation faced by the population of the province, they are attempts to deport the Ministry of Electricity crisis and to circumvent the corruption cases that Tusbandha.oadao Nazarene Ministry of Electricity, to increase the power output and work on citizens equipped with electricity around the clock before thinking about the privatization of the electricity and the imposition of the pricing is fair in light of frequent interruption of power supply, especially since the ministry previously pledged, the processing power when applying the decision of privatization, which means that the electric power available and the ministry reluctance of citizens to impose privatization, stressing that "blackouts heavier burden on citizens and worsened their suffering over the past few years, though The Ministry of Electricity is called upon today to adopt real projects to raise the production of electric energy. "
The Council of Dhi Qar province , had announced in January 19 last, refusing to "cutter" for a project to privatize the electricity sector in the areas of the province, while the central government and demanded the Ministry of Electricity, not to download citizens , " the consequences of administrative failure."
The Ministry of Electricity has signed two contracts with the company "General Electric" earlier this year to build stations Nasiriyah, Samawah to add 2250 MW of production capacity. Also it signed in January with Japan to develop 11 Hartha station in Basra province. On 6 March / March, it signed a contract for the construction of power stations secondary.
And it sells the Ministry of Electricity is currently citizens kilowatt / hour of electricity at a price of 10 dinars when consumption thousand kW, and when consumption rises to 1,500 kilowatt price of 20 dinars to become, then rises to 40 dinars upon the arrival of consumption to two thousand units.

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