Thousands of jobs created as stability returns to southern city

 

By Bassem al-Rikabi

 

Azzaman, 2004-11-19

 

More than 32,000 jobs have been created in the southern city of Nasiriya in the past few months, according to a provincial official.

 

Kareem Adhab, head of Nasiriya Employment Center, said the creation of so many jobs was only made possible after the return of peace and stability to the city.

 

Nasiriya, home to about 550,000 people, is the provincial capital of Dhi Qar, where the ruins of ancient cities Ur and Larsa are located.

 

Most of the newly employed people are given permanent contracts, according to Adhab, who also said the promising employment figures did not include recruits who have opted to join the country’s fledging security forces.

 

He expected the provincial authorities to employ thousands more people to meet demand for the much-awaited-for reconstruction campaign.

 

He said most of the school buildings in the province are in need of repairs and contractors should hire more workers as the school rehabilitation program begins in earnest.

 

Meantime, other provincial officials said they needed more police officers and security forces on the streets of districts and towns in Dhi Qar.

 

While the situation in the provincial center, Nasiriya, was stable and under control, the officials said they wanted to spread full government control to outlying districts and towns.

 

Nasiriya, about 350 kilometers south of Baghdad, is a major agricultural center in the country known for its high yields of rice.

 

Experts say the province’s paddy fields, if used properly and scientifically, should produce enough rice to meet the country’s needs estimated at about 1 million tons a year.