 |
|
|
|
Program Review Board (PRB) Minutes – Dec. 14, 2003
Attendees: *Rodney Bent Chair/Co-Director Office of Management & Budget *Frederick C. Smith Acting Senior Advisor for the Office of Security Affairs *Kurt Fuller USAID *Howard Pittman Governance (designee) *COL M. Toner Coalition Joint Task Force -7, Comptroller *Neil Mules Representative of the Australian Government *Andrew Goledzinowski Council of International Coordination (Designee) COL James Behring CPA - Comptroller Heather Fleming CPA – Private Sector Development Office Michael Fleischer CPA – Private Sector Development Office M. Huang CPA – Private Sector Development Office Jesse Pruett Program Review Board - Regional Programs Manager MAJ Todd Gondeck Coalition Joint Task Force – 7, Deputy Comptroller Don Fithian CPA - Program Management Office - Comptroller Monica McKnight CPA – Baghdad Central Ted Morse CPA – Baghdad Central Eric Otto Ministry of Oil Gary Vogler Ministry of Oil Robert McKee Ministry of Oil COL M. Mulhern CPA – Ministry of Finance *Voting Members
The minutes from the PRB meetings of November 29th, December 2nd and December 6th were approved
The following Funding Requests were considered by the Board for recommendation to the Administrator:
#585 - Rapid Regional Response Program Replenishment - $80,000,000 – The request was approved to replenish the Rapid Regional Response Program.
#580 – Purchase of Power from Turkey - † The Board Chairman proposed to defer consideration and if the Senior Minister Advisor wish to bring it back then it should be consider in the context of the 2004 budget for the Ministry of Electrically.
#581 – DeMining - † The Board approved the request on condition that the Ministry of Oil make sure the bidding is competitive and checked with the State Department to see if it is being funded in the supplemental. The request is to fund the removal of mines in the Al Rumaylah North Oil Field. Task Force RIO removed mines around the oil wells that needed immediate emergency repair. Additional mines have to be removed for repair and maintenance work will have to be done on the rest areas in the oil field.
#579 – Pilot Agricultural Credit Scheme - $10,000,000 – The request was approved to provide funds for an agricultural credit scheme that will be affordable and accessible to the farming and agricultural trade sectors. It is planned that the facilitation of the funds to the farmers and other borrowers will be done by the banks, for a small management fee retained from the interest charge on loans. Monies will be retained by CPA -South in a dedicated bank account. Farmers and traders will be expected to repay their loans on crop harvest or delivery of outputs to the market. Expected recovery rate will be 90-96%.
561 – Public Safety Equipment - † The request was approved subject to concurrence from the Ministry of Interior. This request will fund the purchase of equipment (Police cars, Border Patrol pickup trucks, Riot Gear and Dispatch Center) to the police and border patrol in the CPA – South Central region. This project will allow the police force to be more mobile to respond to calls for service.
#584 – Al Muthanna Cement Factory - $4,500,000 – The request was approved as a Loan Gaurantee Loan to fund the purchase of heavy excavating and transport equipment needed to operate the limestone and clay quarries near the cement plant. The plant is currently using the materials from the quarries that were excavated prior to the war.
#582 – SOMO Audit - † The request was approved to fund an audit of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). An audit will be conducted by an independent public accounting firm to ensure that export sales of petroleum and petroleum products are consistent with prevailing international market best practices. The SOW will include reviewing internal controls systems, advising on best practices and reviewing measures to help detect fraud.
#586 – Oil SME - † The Request was approved to fund a contract with Native American Industrial Distributors to provide a Subject Material Expert (SME) who is an expert with Iraqi oil trading. The SME will visit the SOMO headquarters and assess their trading practices, whether they are up to proper, modern standards that ensure clean practices and transparency.
PRB#566 – Micro/SME Loan in Sunni Region - $2,250,000 – The request was approved to provide funds for the immediate loan funding for micro and small to medium enterprises in Al-Anbar, Diyala, and Salah ad-Din. This program will advance the creation of jobs, improvement of economic infrastructure and generate good will.
#588– Police Equipment for the City of Samarra - † The request was approvcd to fund necessary equipment for the new police force being formed in Samarra. A new force is being reformed because persistent problems in the city. The new equipment will allow the police to communicate and travel to trouble spots. Radios, vehicles and uniforms will be purchase with these funds. #587 – Government of Iraq - $3,000 - This request was approved for additional funds to the contract approved and funded with PRB#562. The funds will pay for the needed power outlets for the computer rooms that were not included in PRB#562.
#573 - Ministry of Water Resources Facility Protection Services - $503,412 – This request was approved to fund the salaries for the Facility Protection Service for the last two months of 2003 and provide uniforms and jackets. The salaries for the prior months were paid from the ministry’s Goods and Services account. The ministry’s account been depleted.
#589 – Indemnity Benefit - $100,000 – This requestwas approved to provide the family of the Vice Mayor of Baghdad, Faris Abduk Razzaq Khattar al-Asan, who was assassinated in October, 2003. In recognition of his service to the cause of freedom in Iraq and his courage and leadership with the Coalition.
† Where the publication of approved funding levels may prejudice the competitive contracting processes, these amounts will be redacted.
|
