19-09-2007
An I.T.A.O Delegation Visits the Ministry of Electricity and the Erbil 500MW Power Plant

  On August22,2007 ,a delegation from Iraq Transition Assistance Office visited KRG ministry of electricity.The delegation headed by ,Major.General James L. Snyder,the director of I.T.A.O operations has met with Mr. Hoshyar Siwaili,the minister of electricity.In the meeting  which's attended by the ministry's advisory board ,the minister explained the current conditions of electricity in Kurdistan region to the guest delegation and pointed out the problems and difficulties that face the ministry.The minister also mentioned the ministry's sustainable efforts and programs to solve these problems, particularly the financial ones and he says that the lack of a required budget to execute the significant electrical projects ,especially those concerning the power-production, is a great obstacle. Moreover, Mr.Siwaili criticized the Iraqi Reconstruction Office for providing only $230million out  of $4.3billion,the total amount of allocations for Iraqi electricity sector by U.S .In reply,the I.T.A.O delegation says: undoubtedly, the most allocated budget has been given to the Iraqi central government in the past ,but henceforth,they will increase their support to Kurdistan especially,in electricity sector.
  Meanwhile,following the meeting, the I.T.A.O delegation along with a ministry's one paid a visit to Erbil 500MW Power-Production plant at which the I.T.A.O thanked both  KRG government and Mass Jordan company for their  hard works to succeed in this project which is supposed to solve a great part of the power crisis in the region. And finally,for the same reason ,before his return to Baghdad,Major.General Snyder honored each of the minister of electricity and the representative of mass Jordan company with a medal for their roles and efforts to achieve the above mentioned project.