Encouragement of non-oil sectors, among government’s priorities, PM says.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq ’s Prime Minister has said on Saturday that the encouragement of the non-oil sectors and the increase of the income-per-capita of the Iraqi citizen were among the priorities of his government.   “The government wishes to keep away, as soon as possible, from depending on a single source for the Iraqi revenue, due to Iraq’s huge potentials in the fields of agriculture, industry, tourism and natural resources,” Maliki said in a symposium held in Baghdad about Iraq’s conditions, as seen by the granting society.   “That is why the government put on its first priorities the encouragement of the non-oil sectors, such as supporting the agriculture sector,” Maliki said, pointing out to “the unleashing of the agricultural initiative, along with the encouragement of the small and middle-size industries, the expansion of the industries depending on Iraqi resources, such as cement, petrochemicals and fertilizers.”   Prime Minister Maliki also pointed out for “ Iraq ’s needs to reform all its major sectors, especially that the current revenues, coming from the oil and gas, are not enough to cover the main prerequisites of the development of the infrastructure. That is why the government resorts at laying down the platforms for oil and electricity, that help to build and reform other sectors.”   “The Iraqi government is paying great attention in the field of education and higher-education, thing that is stemmed from our intention, based on the fact that education shall open new horizons before the human-being,” he said.   “We have laid down a broad program to change the programs, build schools and universities, supplying them with laboratories, as well as implementing a program to send Iraqi students to study in foreign universities, being part of our education initiative, the issue that is part of the human development,” Maliki said.   The symposium was attended by a large number of Arab and foreign officials, along with leading Iraqi officials, including Vice-President, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Deputy Prime-Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, Foreign Minister, Hoshiar Zibary, the Official Spokesman for the Iraqi Government, Ali al-Dabbagh, Finance Minister, Rafi’e al-Issawi and others.   SKH (FT) 501