10.1 |
Reconstruction: March 2003 to June 2004
that the
CPA would have to “move fast if … projects were to have a useful
impact in the
short time
left”.
851.
Ambassador
Bremer also wrote that, in a separate meeting on the same day,
he
had advised
colleagues that the transfer of sovereignty meant that the CPA’s
work to
phase out
subsidies would need to slow down.
852.
Maj Gen Andrew
Figgures, Senior British Military Representative, Iraq,
considered
the effect
of the decision in his 16 November weekly report to Gen
Walker:
“From a
planning perspective, the acceleration of the political process has
shifted
the logic
here from a position whereby the political process was dictated
by
achieving
the necessary conditions (security, economy etc) to enable
sovereignty
transfer,
to one where we will now be fighting to achieve the right
conditions
according
to a political timetable. All lines of operation (CPA and CJTF7)
will now
853.
Mr Jim
Drummond, DFID Director Iraq, visited Iraq from 16 to 20
November.483
He
reported to
Mr Chakrabarti that there were opportunities for DFID to help
with budget
management,
the Public Distribution System (the successor to the OFF
programme),
statistics,
the political process, donor co-ordination and public
administration. On public
administration,
Mr Drummond advised:
“All agree
on the need to build the capacity of central Government. CPA
advisers
praise the
competence and qualifications of individual Ministry staff, but
there is a
culture of
central direction, outdated paper-based processes, and
de-Ba’athification
has left
inexperienced staff in senior positions.
“With the
30 June deadline looming, Bremer wants to professionalise the
Civil
Service
fast. He is keen to have UK help.”
854.
Mr Drummond
also reported that progress was being made with resolving
the
outstanding
procedural issues on the World Bank and UN Trust Funds, and that
he
would
discuss with the World Bank and UN “the prospects for spending,
which will
depend on
[Iraqi] ministries’ capacity to put forward fundable
proposals”.
The OFF
programme closed on 21 November, in accordance with resolution
1483.484
Ministers
were advised that responsibility for remaining activity had passed
to the
CPA and the
Iraqi Ministry of Trade. It was not expected that there would be a
threat to
food
supply.
482
Minute
Figgures to CDS, 16 November 2003, ‘SBMR(IRAQ) report 047 of 16
November 2003’.
483
Letter
Drummond to Chakrabarti, 24 November 2003, ‘Visit to
Iraq’.
484 Annotated
Agenda, 27 November 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
147