U.S. says mass Iraq privatisation still way off

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) A senior U.S. official said it would likely be several years before there was any mass privatisation of Iraq's state-owned businesses and the timing would be decided by a sovereign Iraqi government.

Thomas Foley, director of private sector development for the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, said he had been discussing privatisation plans with Iraq's Governing Council but that it would be a while before action was taken.

Any sell-off of Iraq's state-run industries is a controversial issue, with many ordinary Iraqis fearing international companies will reap the biggest rewards.

''The (privatization) process is a long one and my guess is that it will be several years before any significant privatizations are done and it is also my guess that most of these businesses will end up being owned by Iraqis,'' he said in a conference call to reporters.

''The implementation and the timing of the privatization will be in the future and will be the role of a sovereign government in Iraq,'' he added, without specifying which firms would likely be privatized first.

(more)

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?ccode=ENG4&newscode=33346

[salin]

1. Read as: As long as we have the american taxpayer

to subsidize the gouging (ala no bid services; preventing an open market for contracts which would allow for competition preventing said gouging).... there is no need to privatize... when the American people pull the money train out (or begin to hamper it with demands for accountability on spending)... then it will be time to privatize.

[el_gato]

2. never had anything to do with democratizing iraq

just the creation of a corporate client state

[scipan]

3. bull

That just doesn't make sense. Why CPA Order 39, if the plan is to wait until Iraqis can decide? According to this, they're selling assets off NOW:

In an Oct. 8 phone press conference, Thomas Foley, director for private sector development for the CPA, announced a list of the first Iraqi state enterprises to be sold, including cement and fertilizer plants, phosphate and sulfur mines, pharmaceutical factories and the country's airline. On Sept. 19, the CPA published Order No. 39, which permits 100 percent foreign ownership of businesses -- except for the oil industry -- and allows the transfer of profits outside the country.

<snip>

While unions are being suppressed, international conferences in Washington and London take place every week, at which Iraqi assets are put on sale to private buyers. At one recent conference, ExxonMobil, Delta Airlines and the American Hospital Group all expressed interest in various Iraqi enterprises.
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=0ea74f4207000f2a20cd2bdf4ab0e2a9