IRAQI PORTS AUTHORITY DISCUSSES OPERATING MECHANISMS FOR THE GRAND FAW PORT WITH THE AMERICAN COMPANY KBR
The General Company for Iraqi Ports announced on Wednesday that a meeting was held at the Ministry of Transport headquarters with representatives from the American company KBR, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Planning, to discuss the mechanisms for the actual transition to operating the Grand Faw Port after the completion of the project’s basic work.
Farhan Al-Fartousi, Director General of Iraqi Ports, told Shafaq News Agency, “The Grand Faw Port is going through a pivotal phase, as many preliminary works have been completed. This meeting is a strategic step to coordinate efforts between government agencies and international companies, ensuring the success of future operations.”
Al-Fartousi pointed out that “the meeting comes within the framework of preparing for the transition to the actual operational phase of the port, relying on available international expertise and in line with the Prime Minister’s government program,” stressing that “qualifying Iraqi cadres to manage and operate the port is a key priority in the programs for contracting with international companies.”
The cost of the Faw Port is approximately 4.6 billion euros, with an estimated capacity of 99 million tons annually, making it one of the largest ports overlooking the Gulf and the tenth largest in the world. The foundation stone for this project was laid on April 5, 2010.
The Grand Faw Port issue and the delays in its completion have sparked widespread controversy in Iraq. MPs have accused successive governments of striking deals with neighboring countries that squandered the port’s construction in favor of those countries’ ports. The project has also experienced some delays following the mysterious suicide of the technical director of the South Korean company Daewoo, which was implementing the Grand Faw Port project.
(Again more past corruption is exposed. When will it all come out?)
