Administrator’s Weekly Essential Services Report

January 24 – January 30, 2004

HIGHLIGHTS

Peak generating capacity for 30 January 2004 hit a 3-month high of 4,306 MW. 

Electric power availability in Baghdad increased by 23 percent over the previous week.

I.  Provide Electricity Services that Meet National Needs

Improve generating capacity to 6000MW by July 1, 2004; Fully implement policy on allocation of electrical power; Publish draft of long term strategy; Minimize Sabotage and Improve Security

• As of 30 January 628 MW of generating capacity was on forced (unplanned) outage (108 MW less than the previous week) and 874 MW was on scheduled outage (137 MW less than the previous week). 
   
• Peak generating capacity for 30 January hit a 3-month high of 4,306 MW.  During the week, 8 (400kV) transmission lines and 7 (132 kV) transmission lines continued to be out of service.  Sabotage and looting caused the outages.
   

• The seven-day average production of electrical energy was 86,306 MWh per day giving an implicit load factor (daily average percentage of peak capacity used) of about 85 per cent.
   

II.  Reconstruct Communications and Postal Systems

Restore fixed phone capabilities; Establish wireless service; Establish Comprehensive Regulatory framework; Establish nationwide emergency service; Invest in computers for ministry; and Establish Postal Service

·        Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC) crews have made better progress:  There are three active switches with a total of 31,000 subscribers now on line. An additional 62,000 subscribers are wired to nine switches that will be activated within the next 10 days.  ITPC is now fully crewed and equipped at all these switches and are able to connect as many as 2000 lines per day, per site.

• The Satellite Gateway for international calling is fully operational.  ITPC continues to block “00” access and requires active subscribers to use Pre-Paid phone cards to make international calls.  Active subscribers are receiving inbound calls.
   
• ITPC is splicing two existing dark fibers (not yet used for communications) on the route between Baghdad and Basrah in preparation for the new transmission equipment.

III.  Provide Food Security for all Iraqis

Enhance capacity of Ministry; Assure supply of inputs; Strengthen research system; Ensure adequate stocks for Public Distribution System (PDS); Monitor food security; Hand over administration of system in the North; Initiate reform of rations basket; Environment initiatives

• The Ministry of Agriculture held the first technical workshop for its Crop Technology and Management Demonstrations Program at the Directorate of Agriculture in Mosul last weekend. Twenty scientists attended the workshop, which was chaired by Dr. Hazem, Mosul’s Head of Extension, and Dr. Azzadeen Ashamia, the Program Coordinator.  The Crop Technology and Management Demonstrations Program is a component of the activities supporting the goal to revitalize agricultural production. 

 
IV.  Improve Quality and Access to Housing

Increase financing, housing supply, and private ownership

• Eight of eleven Housing Program subcommittees delivered recommendations to the Ministry’s central selection committee regarding the $100 million Housing Program.  The central committee made one selection and is in final negotiations with an award anticipated next week.  Construction should begin by the end of February. 
   
• Selection of World Bank Trust Fund Pilot Projects continues with submission of project lists for potential donor funding from all donors.  Final selection of pilot projects for World Bank Trust Fund should be completed by mid-February.
   

V.  Improve Quality and Access to Healthcare

Develop health care organizations, management, and infrastructure; Train health care professionals; Secure system; Public health; Pharmaceuticals logistic support; Strategic communications

• Since October 2003, the Iraqi Medical Society Forum has been preparing for a February conference that will help establish medical specialty societies.  This initiative will bring the level of hospital care in Iraq to international standards.  The Medical Society Forum is promoting the establishment of specialty medical societies to exchange knowledge and maintain lines of professional communication across the country.  The forum will interact with international experts to stay abreast of new developments and advocate for professionals within their respective specialty. These societies will help improve the quality of health care in Iraq.

·        The Minister of Health attended a World Bank sponsored seminar in Amman, Jordan, on 25 & 26 January 2004.  The UN and WHO also participated.  The purpose of the seminar was to facilitate National Health Planning, Health Sector Reforms, Health Systems Development, and Role of the Donor Community.  USAID and CPA also participated.  This training solidified the Ministry of Health Strategic Planning process, which has been going on since August 2003.  It also gave the Ministry’s senior leadership the theory behind the recommendations and methods for practical implementation.    It also is designed to help the Minister develop strategies for donor coordination (in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning) and for dealing with private sector interests so that the long term health of the system is not adversely affected by ad hoc decision making

·        A delegation of Iraqis, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry, attended the Arab Health Forum 2004 in Dubai, UAE. The CPA facilitated the Iraqis’ travel.  The delegation of twelve healthcare professionals represented a cross section of both the public and private healthcare sectors in Iraq concerned with creating the long-term plans for rebuilding the healthcare system. There were key players from the procurement areas of the Ministry of Health, as well as senior figures from private hospitals, scientific councils and postgraduate medical schools within Iraqi Universities.  Both the U.K. and U.S. jointly hosted a full program over the four days including tours of the exhibition, seminars with their hosts, meetings with exhibitors and social events to generate more informal personal networking opportunities.

VI.  Improve Quality and Access to Education

Print and Distribute revise textbooks; Refurbish 1000 schools and reform the curriculum; Improve quality of education; Special programs for girls; Special accelerated learning program

·        Students in the Accelerated Learning program finished their week-long mid-year examinations on 24 January 2004.  Coordinated by the Ministry of Education and USAID, Accelerated Learning is a pilot program established in five cities around Iraq--Baghdad, Arbil, Karbala, an Nasiriyah, and ad Diwaniyah--to provide out-of-school children a second chance for education.  Children who pass the year-end exams are expected to be integrated into main schools.

·        The Ministry of Education (MoE) held a workshop for provincial Directors General and their training department heads to discuss the future operations of the Training Institute. This is the first in a series of sessions to restructure and re-energize the professional development program run by the Ministry and is part of the larger strategic effort to reorganize and re-staff the MoE.

• The Ministry hosted the British Council’s program on English Language Training (ELT). Led by Malcolm Griffiths, a consultant to the British Council, the seminar featured discussion among a good representation of Iraq’s English teachers about the strengths of English Language Training practices in the country.  Suggestions for reform included improving teacher training, screening for quality and performance, revising texts and materials, and gearing testing toward proficiency.  This effort is part of the MoE’s ongoing national dialogue that will lead to curriculum reform.
   

VII.  Provide Water Supply, Sewerage and Municipal Services

Create Organization; Restore services to pre-war levels; Municipal Services;

·        Three Baghdad sewage treatment plants--Rustimiyah North, Rustimiyah South, and Kerkh--will be rehabilitated by October 2004.  Currently, none of Baghdad’s sewage goes through any treatment before it is dumped directly into the Tigris River.  The rehabilitated plants will treat nearly 800 million liters a day, benefiting 3.5 million people.

·        The Sharkh Dijlah water treatment plant is being rehabilitated and expanded to add 225,000 cubic meters a day to Baghdad’s potable water supply by summer 2004.  Once the project is complete, the plant will meet 45 percent of the water requirements in East Baghdad, including some of Sadr City, an area neglected by the former regime.

·        At ad Diwaniyah Wastewater Treatment Plant civil work is about 95 percent complete;  At al Hillah Wastewater Treatment Plant civil restoration is 10 percent complete. 

·        In the South work has begun on 12 of the 14 water treatment plants, and 80 percent of the 250 pumps have been delivered.

·        The cost estimate for the proposed $12.4-million Basrah city wastewater project will be completed by the end of January with a scheduled start date for work in 8-12 weeks and a target date for completion in September 2004.

VIII.  Improve Water Resources Management

Strategy to provide uninterrupted water supplies; Strategy to improve water resources; Build ministry capacity; Advance water resources policy

• Observed water storage in most reservoirs is approaching historic averages.  Dokan and Derbendikhan reservoir levels are well below normal because of excessive water releases to generate hydropower.
   

IX.  Restore Economically – Strategic Transportation Infrastructure

Re-open airports and airspace; Ensure commercial operations of port; Operate railroad; Repair roads and bridges

• This week a final inspection of the Marbad Station Building outside al Basrah was made.  It was turned over to Iraqi Republican Railways (IRR).  Rehabilitation work on the building, which will house IRR workers, began in December.  IRR is working with USAID to repair 72 km track at the port of Umm Qasr and between the port and al Basrah to ensure that grain shipments from the seaport to mills are not jeopardized.  The track has not been upgraded since the 1950s and causes derailments, accidents, and delays to the existing rail service.

• During negotiations held in Turkey on 20-22 January 2004, Iraq agreed in principle to establish a border crossing at Ovakoy, Turkey.  Financed by the Turks, this project will expand the existing road into a four-lane divided highway to include a new bridge over the Tigris River, and connecting to the Musol-Telgock highway, a distance of over 50 km.
   
• Iraqi Republic Railways installed 16 radios in 8 locomotives.  This permits train crews to communicate with nearby stations and with opposing trains for the first time since the cessation of hostilities last year. 
   
• The Ministry of Transport (MoT) railway team received approval for competitive bidding for 44 Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) freight cars totaling $4.4 million and 520 railroad switches totaling $21.9 million. 
   
• Maersk Co. has donated a new engine compressor for the dredging ship Ramalah, which will enable it to resume dredging operations at the port of Khawr az Zubayr. 
   
• The PMO has issued a contract for the construction of an Iraq Coastal Defense Force base at Berth One of the port of Umm Qasr.
   
• MoT’s aviation team is beginning preliminary discussions with the UK military and civilian teams in Basrah to facilitate airport transition to the Iraqi civil aviation authority.  Discussions are ongoing to increase SkyLink’s management services participation at the Basrah Airport and to enable Iraqi staff to be trained to assume responsibility over the airport.  UK forces will continue to provide perimeter protection as long as the RAF continues to fly aircraft, which is planned until 2007.