Head of Reconstruction Fund: Stability requirement to start reconstruction

Head of Reconstruction Fund: Stability requirement to start reconstruction

President of the Reconstruction Fund Mustafa Al-Hiti

Emaar Construction


The head of the Reconstruction Fund, Mustafa al-Hitti, said that the international loans and grants for the reconstruction of the liberated areas of Daqash, is the fastest way to implement the reconstruction programs, a check on loans because it "puts the country under debt and the benefits of it." He pointed out that "the majority of international grants supervised translation into the projects of the German Embassy and the United Nations, funds not recorded in the records of the Ministry of Finance or planning, and acted in coordination with local governments of the provinces.

"There are two committees set up by the government to oversee the reconstruction of the liberated areas, the first is the crisis cell headed by the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Mahdi Al-Alak, and the second is composed of the Supreme Advisory Group headed by the president," al-Hiti said in an interview with Al-Hayat newspaper in London. Minister Haidar Abadi and the membership of the ministers concerned and representatives of the region and the provinces and military leaders, whose mission is to secure the requirements of the displaced and their return and stability in their areas of origin. "

And coordination mechanisms with international donors, he explained that "this coordination already exists, and merged international efforts in the crisis cell and meetings with ambassadors of European countries to consider the needs of the ministries concerned, while there is no law so far to manage disasters in Iraq." He pointed out that "the emergence of problems, including mine clearance, had to be disengaged between the restoration of stability and reconstruction," adding that "the restoration of stability requires short periods of not more than 90 days, while reconstruction needs at least 10 years." The reconstruction fund "was established in 2016 by 148 billion dinars ($ 127 million), along with loans, grants and loans of 350 million dollars for reconstruction."

He stressed that "the legislative authority to enact a law for the Fund to make it easier for us to deal with donor countries and to be patient in its dealings with States." "The focus now is on the province of Nineveh, where stability has not yet been achieved, in return for the stability of the situation in Anbar and Salahuddin and is supposed to start the stage of reconstruction, among the functions of the cell, which begins the restoration of services basis to the liberated areas.

"There is an overlap between local and international bodies, but anyone who has the necessary funding will be assigned the task of completing the project, taking into consideration its priorities," he said. "The Higher Committee spent more than 20 billion dinars for Anbar and Salahuddin in 2016, while the United Arab Emirates spent $ 300 million to restore the stability that began in August 2015 after the liberation of Tikrit." The money has come to a special fund run by the German ambassador to Iraq, Eliza Krand, and is not directed to the Iraqi government, but takes orders from local governments.

With the completion of the Nineveh liberation operations more than two months ago, the UNBDP projects began to provide $ 25 million to fund 27 projects, and a few days later, 25 additional projects funded by the international community were approved to support stability, education, health, electricity and sanitation.

Heti did not rule out "the manipulation of the implementation of projects, because" the implementing agencies have dozens of means to circumvent, such as the use of old mechanisms and others, so it was necessary to find a way to oversee the implementation of contracts by specialized bodies. "He revealed that" Engineering and accounting system is able to verify any project, and know the real cost and prevent waste of funds, and ensure the disbursement on a large number of projects, even if the international grants are calculated on Iraq, and we seek the interest of our country and the benefit of the people of the affected areas.

He explained that "the Fund carried out in the province of Anbar 113 projects, and in Sinjar 13, along with a number of projects in other areas, to reach what we have completed in two months 152 projects, and brought life to a number of universities and hospitals.

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