Trade
Foundational Idea in Economics
TO COME ... The transport systems in Europe, in North America, in Japan are incredibly
Communications
Telephone
The telephone service in Iraq has become much more wireless in the past few
years. The technology is insufficient and service leaves much to be desired.
Urban areas are being targeted, but remote areas are not being served. Getting a
good telecom infrastructure is a good basis for other progress.
Internet
In Iraq the Internet is available through a variety of services, none are cheap.
The Internet ought to be working on top of a good local infrastructure and be
accessible easily and at low cost.
Private sector
The most effective strategy is going to be to make sure that the development of
communications is handled by the private sector, with the public sector
authorities having a regulatory role that ensures a quality service and pricing
and service agreements that are reasonable.
Media
Radio and Television
Radio and television have been under government control in Iraq. However
private channels can be picked up from satellites and from broadcasts
originating from other countries.
These are powerful ways of spreading news, entertaining people, spreading
propaganda and influencing people.
While the English language is used to some extent, the primary language in the
country is Arabic. While programs in English reach the international community
in Iraq, it is the Arabic programming that reaches the population at large.
Print media
There are a variety of newspapers in Iraq. A lot of material printed in the media
has originated from some official source. Newspapers are an important
communications medium and should be used not only for entertainment but
also for serious news and analysis.
New media ... Internet
The Internet must be thought of as a major component of the media sector. The
Internet has a combination of characteristics that have never been seen before ...
it can be extremely fast ... combine digital video, audio, text and interaction in a
bewildering range of combinations. It can be private or it can be very public,
depending on how the user chooses to interact with the Internet and the Internet
community.
Professional Sector
Professional sector situation
The professional sector includes professions like accountancy, law, medicine,
teaching, engineering, architecture, accountancy, the religious, etc. These
professional people have standards for their work that enable society to rely on
what they do. They serve to improve productivity in enterprise and in society
and in so doing create tangible value in society.
As long as there is instability and a lot of violence professionals are going to
move themselves and their families to safe places. The professional is a great
value to the society and to the economy, and emigration constrains success.
The private professional sector is very important for sustained development.
The government is able to set a legal and policy framework for civil society and
development, but there also needs to be the private professional community that
can provide a technical input so that the laws, regulations and policy are
compatible with global professional principles.
Professional employment is not a large number, but is an area where higher
incomes may be earned.
National professionals should be recruited to do professional work that is
required to strengthen the national frameworks for development. The state of
knowledge about development, about the law, about the society, etc. all need to
be improved, and this can and should be done by funding work to be done by
national professionals.
There should be active cooperation between local professional societies and
equivalent professional societies in other countries. Many professional societies
have active international programs and are looking to expand their global
connections. These links should be actively encouraged, in particular as a way to
facilitate world class training for the leading members of the professional
community.
Tourism
High economic value
Tourism is a sector with huge potential economic value. But tourism, like
everything else, requires planning and investment to be successful. Some places
have developed tourism very effectively and have made it an important part of
their economic success, but in many places the opportunities of tourism are
totally ignored.
In Iraq, there were few visitors during the Saddam Hussein era. Visitors since
the 2003 Iraq war started have been mainly soldiers intent on making peace and
some international contractors engaged in making money. There have also been
lawmakers and journalists who have able to see Iraq from the Green Zone and a
few other “safe” places in the country.
Destinations ... What To Do?
I have traveled a lot almost always on work assignments ... and I am
amazed at how many places have wonderful destination activities that
nobody knows about.
Iraq has an interesting and very long history ... places in Iraq were
determinants of history in Biblical times. The rivers in Iraq are part of
Biblical history. The archeology of Iraq is fascinating.
Iraq ought to be one of the must see tourist destinations ... one day ...
maybe.
But building back a tourism industry is important. Tourism is
successful when safety is sure, there are good places to see, good
transport, good hotels, good food and good entertainment.
Hotels, restaurants and entertainment
Hotels, restaurants and entertainment that serves local business does not attract
the international tourist community. For upscale international tourists there
needs to be a higher class of hotel and restaurant. International tourists look for
air-conditioning, spotless bathroom facilities and their own style of food. For
this they are willing to pay. There also needs to be entertainment value as, for
example, in various forms of destination that show of local history, culture and
sights.
Chapter 24 - Afterword
AFTERWORD
A book is never finished ... but at some point it goes off to the printers,
and the writing process stops for a while. But this is not the end ... the
ideas are new and they need refinement ... this comes from feedback and
attempts to use the ideas in a diverse set of situations. There is lot to
learn ... and especially from failure.
Page
Chapter 24 - Afterword
PB-New-Wave-for-Development-110102b.odt Page 405
Printed on Nov 29, 2015at 10:56 PM
Truck fleets
The truck fleets in Iraq have expanded based on the profits of the private
operators. The financing associated with the truck fleets is likely a huge cash
cow for those that are engaged in the financing.
Truck maintenance is handled by a large a competent workshop sub-sector.
Parts are not a problem as long as funds are available. The fuel situation that is
often a problem is not a problem in Iraq where refined products are widely
available.
Air transport
Air transport service operators can be in the private sector. There can be
financial support from the government to facilitate the funding.
Airport fuel and service
Baghdad airport is international standard and all fuels and services from an
international airport are available.
Port operations
Port operations are going to be a major issue in the future success of Iraq, and
especially the oil and gas sector. A modern port capacity is going to be vital in
the handling of energy products exporting product using the largest of the
modern supertankers.
Pipelines
Pipelines are the main means of transporting petroleum products. They are an
easy target for bombers and have not been adequately protected so are not all
presently in service.
Warehouses
Warehouses are now a critical part of logistics operations. They serve much
more than merely to keep stock in a safe place out of the weather. They are now
fully equipped so that information about stock movements in facilitated in real
time.
The old era warehouse is still needed at the community level ... while the 21st
century warehouse and integrated logistics system starts to operate in the
country.
Maintenance
Repair shops, welding and machine shops
There is an ongoing need to strengthen the national capacity to maintain
equipment and do welding and machining. Much equipment, especially in small
enterprises, is old, and needs ongoing maintenance. There are a lot of small
facilities that do work at a basic level, but few that have the capability to pdo the
higher end work.
Access to training
Training will help improve the sector, and help increase jobs and employment
while also providing value for the community. It should be possible and easy for
people to upgrade their skills. All maintenance and machine shops of good
standing should be encouraged to train people to a higher level of skill.
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