In Brief : Iraq Privatizing Tourist Trade

Iraq, home of some of the world’s oldest archeological sites, is turning to the private sector to spark a tourist boom after eight years of war with Iran.

As part of a drive to loosen rigorous state control of the economy, the official press has said major hotels and almost all state-run tourist firms will be sold off in whole or part.

Al-Iraq daily quoted tourism commission chief Abdul-Tawab al Mullah Huwaish as saying 38 tourist enterprises will be offered in their entirety to Iraqi and other Arab companies.

A 51% stake in 36 other firms would be sold off, he said, and to ensure their freedom from state control, no government representatives would sit on their boards.

Babylon, Sumer and Ur are among a string of ancient sites that could be big tourist draws after the August cease-fire with Iran.

Since President Saddam Hussein launched a privatization campaign more than a year ago, more than 50 state-owned enterprises, including farms, food-processing plants and light industrial projects, have been privatized.

The tourist commission said last week that 51% of the 21-story Baghdad Sheraton hotel is to be offered to private investors and run by a company with capital of 50 million dinars ($160 million).