Launching the project of the Social Fund for Development in Iraq with a capital of 300 million dollars

Sunday, September 23, 2018 09:33 am


The Ministry of Planning announced on Sunday the launch of the Social Fund for Development project in Iraq, which aims to improve living conditions and opportunities for the poor and the disadvantaged through improving their ability to access services and provide jobs for them with an initial capital of 300 million dollars.

"A workshop concluded in Erbil on the launch of the Social Fund for Development project in Iraq, organized by the Ministry of Planning in cooperation with the World Bank and the Ministry of Planning in the Kurdistan region and the local government in the province of Dohuk," said a report prepared by the ministry's media office, He pointed out that "a delegation such as the Federal Ministry of Planning headed by Najla Ali Murad, Director General of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Head of the Social Fund for Development Project, Mohammed Mohsen Al-Sayed, Director General of the Regional and Local Development Department and Mr. Abbas Fadhil, Sectors and Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi, the official spokesman of the Ministry of Planning and representatives from a number of departments in the ministry and the directors of the provinces of Muthanna and Salahuddin planning. "

The report added that "the World Bank team Ramzi Noman, the program officer and head of the task force and included Halim Kashkul, Lina Abbasi, Hawazin Hamid, Mustafa Kazem and others presided over the meeting, while the delegation of the Kurdistan region Zakruz Fattah Director General of capital investment budget in the Ministry of Planning in the region and members of the Project Management Office in the region "He said.

"The workshop was initiated by Director-General of the Strategy for Poverty Alleviation in Iraq, Najla Ali Murad, in which she stressed that the Social Fund for Development represents a $ 300 million project implemented over a period of five years and aims to improve living conditions and opportunities for the poor and deprived in Iraq through improving Their ability to access basic services in the end and to create jobs in local communities, explaining that the project works to achieve its objectives through the funding of sub-projects at the community level in the areas of education, health, water and small economic infrastructure and accessibility As well as strengthening the capacity of MFIs to support SME development, technical assistance and capacity-building. "

"The foundation stage of the project, which will be over the two years will be under the management of the Federal Ministry of Planning through its branches in Baghdad and the provinces, but after the issuance of the Fund Act will become an independent body like the rest of the independent formations," praising "the great efforts made by the national team, The completion of all the requirements required for the start of the Fund in its work, which will include in the first phase three provinces, Muthanna as the province of the poorest in Iraq and the province of Salah al-Din as the province, which suffered a lot of damage as a result of the occupation of And for the province liberated from terrorism, and the province of Dohuk in the Kurdistan region as the poorest province in the region, as it has received the largest waves of displaced people, which led to the exposure to a lot of damage in their infrastructure and therefore need support. "


She added that "the second phase, which will begin in 2019 will include three provinces are Nineveh, Qadissiya and Dhi Qar, while all provinces will be covered by the Fund services from the third year when he is able to finance all projects through increasing capital," noting that " Had the effect of reaching the goals we set for the fund. "

He said that "the projects of the Fund will achieve positive economic outcomes in the sectors covered, expected to contribute to the Fund to improve the standard of living and improve the access of agricultural products to markets and improve the outcomes of education and health," and revealed that "the Social Fund project will serve more than one million and 500 thousand families scattered in More than 600 local and village communities will witness the implementation of more than 1700 community projects across Iraq and there will be 10 million working days updated, "noting that" the Fund will launch in the implementation of its functions under a detailed work plan according to accurate timelines include the implementation of a number of projects aimed at Community service Local in the provinces covered. "

"The World Bank continues to support the efforts of the Iraqi government to establish the Social Fund for Development (SFD) project. Community projects will have a positive social impact by increasing the level of empowerment and social cohesion by mobilizing the various components of society to think together," said Ramzi Naaman, head of the World Bank Task Force. Identify common priorities and needs in those societies, "adding that" the overall objective of the Fund is to promote efforts to restore stability and restore confidence between citizens and the state as well as institutionalize measures to strengthen social cohesion, "adding that" the priority will be for projects that serve the Poor segments and groups with special needs, in addition to projects that create permanent jobs. "

The Director General of the investment budget in the Ministry of Planning in the Kurdistan region Zacros Fattah that "the project of the Social Fund for Development represents an addition to contribute to improve the reality of life in poor communities," noting that "the province of Dohuk in the Kurdistan region was the first provinces that achieved good results through Implementation of 28 projects in 16 communities ".

"There is a great deal of cooperation from these communities. They were very keen in choosing projects and their contribution to guarding the materials and furniture for projects, and this approach gives us a positive message that the project will be effective and will enhance the role of communities in real participation through their role. In selecting the projects they need and they will contribute in the implementation and follow-up to the stage of achievement and achieve the desired results of small and medium-sized projects aimed at improving the reality of life in those communities, "noting that" this experience is the first of its kind and we were "We expect to face major and complex problems, but the positive interaction of local communities has eliminated all the expected difficulties."

The workshop presented a general description of the project of the Social Fund for Development. The project management presented a presentation that included the readiness to implement and progress towards launching the activities of the Fund through the review of institutional arrangements, the opening of the allocated account and the selection of community organizations. Al-Muthanna and Salah al-Din governorates, and the Kurdistan Region team presented a vision for the implementation of the activities of the Fund in Dohuk governorate. The workshop also discussed the current system of grievance handling mechanism in the Ministry of Planning and good practices in dealing with these grievances, Discuss environmental and social safeguards and discuss credit aspects ".

"The media plan for the promotion of the fund includes ten axes, including the objectives of the plan, determining the target audience, what messages are addressed to the public and the contents of these messages, as well as the activities and events included in the plan and determining the time period of the plan. The media plan has identified four time frames for launching it, including the definition of the fund and targeting the political class, ministries, local governments and the general public, beginning on October 1, The second phase, which starts on the same date as the first phase, includes the targeted governorates (Muthanna, Salaheddine, Dahuk). The third phase will include the target areas and will begin on October 1st. The fourth and final phase will begin in mid 2018, The stage of dealing with complaints filed by citizens. " is over


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