Business is booming in Arab Jabour

Photo By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky | An interpreter helps an Iraqi business man understand the application process for micro-grants at the Arab Jabour governance center, Jan. 24. To help stimulate the local economy in Arab Jabour and Al Buaytha, coalition forces are helping to create a business association in the area.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

01.28.2008

Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – The Arab Jabour business association conducted its second meeting at the Arab Jabour governance center, Jan. 24.

The association is set to appoint representatives over the council.

"Tentatively, by mid-February we should have representatives appointed," said Capt. Bryan Albertson, Company B, 1-30th Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, civil affairs team leader. Albertson's team has been doing necessary leg work to get the association up and running.

Albertson, a native of Charlotte, N.C., said all a citizen needs to do is have their own business to qualify as a member. This includes renters who rent their property to business owners.

To build momentum and show small business owners the value in teamwork, dues will not be imposed until the organization is a self-sustaining entity, Albertson said. By coming together, he said, local businesses can coordinate their efforts.

The focus right now is on building the Arab Jabour/Al Buaytha business association, with the hope it will tie into other business associations already existing in neighboring areas like Hawr Rajab, said John Smith, team leader, Baghdad 7 embedded provincial reconstruction team.

"They are all linked to one another," Smith said, explaining that as councils mature and grow, the businesses comprising the councils expand their markets into new areas. "The benefit of the business association is it brings better commerce into an area. It increases commerce and trade."

Eventually, this increase will spread, Smith said, allowing businesses to merge with other businesses, creating a tight web of commerce.

Developing a structure for the association, including appointing temporary leaders and representatives, was also discussed. Although coalition forces will initially select leaders, eventually members will elect their own officials, Albertson said.

Empowering representatives to choose their officials, he said, will help prevent corruption in the ranks; if a representative abuses their power, they will not keep the position long.

Other benefits of working together and pooling resources will be equipment sharing. Members will have access to trucks for transporting supplies and goods.

The association will also help individual members by giving classes on how to increase profits and build better business practices. The ePRT has expressed interest in trying to get both nongovernment organizations and the government of Iraq involved in the process.

"They'll see working together as a team pays off," said Albertson.

• Date Taken: 01.28.2008
• Date Posted: 01.28.2008 13:44
• Story ID: 15836
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ