Agriculture, schools and hospitals to top governorate priorities next year
Erbil is well on its way to becoming the real capital of Kurdistan Region, says Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi.
Anyone who saw Erbil city before 2003 knows there are huge differences today. During the 1990s, people in Erbil used to say that Erbil was "a big village."
According to Erbil Governor, Nawzad Hadi, from 2004 to 2007, US$2, 599, 730, 638. 00 was spent in Erbil province on various projects; US$2, 106, 837, 827.00 was in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG budget); US$ 78, 427, 398. 00 was in the budget of the South Korean Army stationed in Erbil; and US$414, 465, 412. 00 was in U.S. government budget.
Hadi said there are US$15 billion in U.S. investments in Kurdistan Region, and 78 percent of that money is in Erbil.
"Since 2004, our priority has been on projects related to water, electricity, and roads," said Hadi, adding that the governorate for 2008 began building new roads and asphalting the roads and subways in the neighborhoods.
Hadi said next year the governorate will focus on building schools and hospitals in every village, town, and city of Erbil. As for government priorities, Hadi said the KRG will focus on improving agriculture in the region next year. The KRG seeks to secure food for the people without importing any food.
"Most of the government's projects in 2009 will pertain to agriculture, such as building dams and greenhouses and helping the farmers," said Hadi. The KRG has already invited many agriculture experts from outside to help the region, he added.
Recently, the governorate opened a new park in Erbil city that has turned into an attraction for many locals and tourists from middle and southern Iraq. Currently, the city has three modern parks, and Hadi said the governorate plans to open more.
"Our policy is to make Erbil a green city," said Hadi. He mentioned that the governorate has just begun to renovate Glkand Park, the oldest park in Erbil city.
This week the governorate distributed trees to houses in every neighborhood in Erbil city, and asked each family to plant it in front of their homes.
The governor said that in the mountain areas of Erbil province there is a different policy. There they are building roads and buildings in order to attract more tourists.
The Kurdistan Ministry of Tourism said 25,000 tourists from middle and southern Iraq visited Kurdistan Region this year via travel agencies.
The budget of the governorate is not enough to cope with their ambitions, admitted Hadi, but they are persevering. Local companies have gained experience in implementing medium-size projects, and the administration can now rely on them to conduct similar or more advanced projects.
By Qassim Khidhir
© The Kurdish Globe 2008
