According to the officials, Amanat Baghdad is on the verge of signing contracts with various foreign companies for better cleaning of the different areas in the capital.
This move signifies the attempt of privatizing cleaning sector of Iraq.
Hakim Abdul Zahra, the media director of Amanat has commented that, after the pilot project done with collaboration with a Turkish company for cleaning Karrada and Rusafa became successful, this particular policy was taken up.
In its announcement done in the December of 2010, Amanat Baghdad had announced that in order to clear the areas like University of Baghdad, Karrada Kharji, Karrada Dakhil, Bab al-Aharqi, Palestine Street, Abu Naus Street and Bab al-Muadham, it has entered into a deal worth 31 billion dinars with Akdeniz, a Turkish company.
According to Zahra and a survey done by the company, the performance and effort of the company has been praised by general secretariat for the council of ministers, residents of the area and Baghdad service commission and such sectors.
He also added that, the brilliant results of the project has made the mayor office to understand the need for developing this sector and that is why they are interested to give the same chance to the other foreign companies which can enter into the competition of cleaning more areas of Baghdad.
Zahra has confirmed that invitation was send to a lot of international cleaning companies for this project of cleaning both Rusafa and Karkh municipalities and as a result to this, a lot of companies from Europe and countries like Turkey, Emirates and Jordan have submitted their bids.
He has added that, at present they are going through the bids and offers and the company will be chosen depending upon its reputation, cost effectiveness, experience in the same kind of work and such factors. He has confirmed that after the evaluation phase will be over the name of the company will be announced.
According to Zahra, privatizing this specific sector is not going to put an end to the district cleaning services conducted by the municipality, because this opportunity will be shared with the public workers.
He has said that this step is going to be a very important one for the economic condition of the on the country, because these contracts will help the companies to gain more profit with the help of the local manpower and will create a lot of employment.
Privatization will help the municipalities
Deputy Chairman of services commission of Baghdad’s provincial council Mr. Ghalib al-Zamily has stated that this bid of privatization will actually speed up the process of cleaning up and will help to have a clean environment in the city.
He added further that they support the very idea of involving foreign investment companies with sectors like sewages, water and roads along with the cleaning sector.
In further information he has confirmed that meetings were arranged with German, Italian and Swedish companies that specialize in the sector of cleaning.
According to him all the companies are very keen to bank upon the opportunities in the cleaning sector. They have also submitted a lot of documents regarding the cleaning projects they have executed in other Arabian countries in order to prove their eligibility.
Parliament’s services and reconstruction committee, Mr. Wahda al-Jumaily has stressed upon the need of opting for these foreign investment companies in the cleaning sector, because according to him, specialized cleaning services will actually help the efforts made by the municipalities.
He has further stated that, with the help of media, posters and seminars an education process should be structured, which will boost the awareness of the public about cleanliness as a practice required for hygienic environment.