Assessing risk and opportunities will be the focus of a conference for companies interested in Afghanistan and Iraq reconstruction from October 29-30, in Washington, DC. The conference will also provide details on President Bush's recent proposal for nearly $21 billion in new reconstruction funding.
Organized by MFM Trade Meetings, "Rebuilding Afghanistan & Iraq: Pursuing Opportunities & Managing Risk," will bring together US government officials, representatives of international financial institutions, leaders from Afghanistan and Iraq, and executives of companies already working in the two countries. "The goal of the conference is to provide a comprehensive picture of the operating climate in both countries so that companies can determine whether to pursue project work and, if so, how to proceed," said conference director Daniel Lamey.
The program will include sessions on financial and legal issues, status reports on military operations in both countries, as well as candid discussions about security risks and options for ensuring contractor personnel safety. An American civilian working in Iraq for an engineering firm was killed when his truck was destroyed by a remote control bomb in August. Civilian casualties have also occurred in Afghanistan.
Despite security risks, many companies remain interested in lucrative reconstruction work. The US has already awarded contracts worth billions for projects in the two countries. The new White House proposal calls for $20 billion more for Iraq and $800 million more for Afghanistan. The international community has thus far pledged five billion dollars for Afghanistan. "Further assistance from international institutions, such as the World Bank, and other countries, could raise these amounts considerably," said Lamey.
Opportunities to be discussed at the conference will include specific infrastructure projects in electric power, water and sanitation, transportation, oil and gas development and pipelines, telecommunications and general construction, as well as training and technical assistance projects. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
