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MNF-I initiative provides contracts
to Iraqi businesses
Sunday, 10 June 2007
MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
BAGHDAD, Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com
703.270.0320 / 0299
June 11, 2007
Release A070611c
MNF-I initiative provides contracts to Iraqi businesses
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Force–Iraq is providing new
business and employment opportunities for Iraqis within an
initiative designed to help boost local economies.
The Iraqi-based Industrial Zone (I-BIZ) initiative plays a
role in rebuilding Iraq and underscores a unity of purpose
and effort among the Coalition force and logistics support
contractors to bring Iraqi companies into the domestic and
international marketplace.
Under I-BIZ the Coalition provides secure areas for Iraqis
to develop their businesses such as laundries, carpentry
shops, air conditioning repairs, generator repairs, vehicle
repairs, bakeries, waste management, recycling, and retail
sales.
I-BIZ, which was in development for twelve months, is part
of MNF-I’s wider economic efforts and fosters small business
creation and economic stimulus by providing local Iraqi
businesses contracts for servicing Coalition bases.
Many of the contracts previously awarded to international
companies will now be awarded to Iraqi owned businesses.
“Let's get Iraqis employed, get them out of the bomb-making
business and into the support-providing business,” said
Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson, MNF-I deputy chief of staff for
Resources and Sustainment. “The long term objective is to
expand Iraqi business to service Iraqi communities, not just
bases.”
I-BIZ includes eleven candidate locations across Iraq
including the two year old I-BIZ site at Camp Echo in
Diwaniyah, where nearly 200 Iraqis are employed.
Most of the eleven candidate locations are intended to
become operational over the next twelve months.
A major I-BIZ site is set to open in August at Camp Victory,
Baghdad, and will have the initial capacity for three to six
businesses, each potentially employing from two to 20 staff
members. Plans are in place to expand the site to up to 25
acres.
“Currently there are a significant number of small
businesses expressing interest in setting up at the ten acre
I-BIZ site near Camp Victory,” Anderson said. “We are
thinking big but starting small.”
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