Falluja Cement Factory to be rehabilitated

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Ministry of Industry and Minerals signed a 20-year investment contract to rehabilitate the Falluja Cement Factory, which ceased operations in 1986, according to a ministry statement. “The ministry has signed a contract with an Iraqi company , backed by Arab and foreign companies, to rehabilitate and operate the Falluja black Cement Factory, which ceased its production since 1986 due to technical and economic problems,” said the statement, quoting Hassan Fayyad, an expert of the ministry, as saying. “The 20-year contract includes the rehabilitation and operation of the factory and the increase of its production capacity from 600,000 tons to (1.5-2) million tons per year,” the expert added. “The contract will provide 150 new job opportunities,” he said, noting that the factory will positively affect the Iraqi economy. The investment comes as part of the ministry’s plan to develop the Iraqi industry, and giving the private sector a leading role in pushing forward the national industry. SH (TS)/SR 671