Spc. Aaron Rosencrans
MND-B PAO
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — U.S. service members and Iraqis broke ground May 5 for the building of the first locally-owned and operated gas station on Camp Liberty.
The new business was completely funded by Iraqis and was another step toward providing more jobs for Iraqis to help stimulate the local economy.
“This is a project that was entirely developed by Iraqis, and all the funding has come from Iraqi companies,” said Capt. Derek Hoffman, a native of Yelm, Wash., who serves as an Iraqi business initiative liaison with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “The Iraqis will build and operate the station, and they will supply it with Iraqi gas. This will not only stimulate the Iraqi fuel industry, but the transportation industry.”
Currently, the U.S. government is footing the bill for the fuel private contractors use to operate on the Victory Base Complex.
Not only will the gas station contribute money to the Iraqi economy, but it will reduce the amount of money the U.S. government will spend on fuel for government contract companies. Additionally, the gas station will reduce the recourses needed to import fuel into Iraq.
“This gas station will provide services to all the contractors on base, with plans of writing fuel out of the contracts the U.S. government is offering to companies,” said Hoffman. “The contractors who currently get fuel from the U.S. government will have to come here to get their fuel. This will reduce the requirement of the U.S. to buy fuel and to ship it up here, which can be a dangerous process to convoy the fuel into Baghdad.”
The gas station will have a 120,000-liter capacity and is projected to sell approximately 100,000 liters of fuel weekly.
The fuel will come from an Iraqi oil refinery in Bayji, which is located south of Baghdad.
Ammar Orfali, general manager and owner of Sigma Group International, said he is putting his country first when he builds job-creating businesses on the Victory Base Complex.
“By starting this project, we’re going to hire more Iraqis, which will bring in more money into the Iraqi economy and help create a stable Iraq,” he said.
He said he was disappointed he couldn’t build the gas station in Baghdad because of the current security situation, but he plans to build more businesses in the city once there is more stability in the area.
“With the current security situation, which has improved over the last couple months, we couldn’t build in (Baghdad) so now we’re starting on the base,” he said. “Later on, when the area is stable, we will be moving into the city and investing our money in Baghdad.”
In addition to starting up small businesses here, Orfali has been providing equipment to area schools to help grow a strong Iraqi work force to fill the growing number of jobs opening in Baghdad.
“Right now, we’re supplying the schools with heavy equipment, lathe machines and milling machines,” he said. “This will help Iraqis to get into jobs where they will make more money to feed their families and will help create a stable Iraq.”
The gas station was a project designed to get more Iraqis working to provide for their families and, ultimately, to add to the stability of the country.
“I feel jobs contribute to building a dynamic citizen, which ultimately helps society become more productive,” said Lt. Col. Danny Tilzey, a native of Manchester, England, who serves as the commander of the Regimental Support Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cav. Regt.
“In my opinion, the government of Iraq and its Coalition partners need to focus on building an employment foundation to establish economic opportunities, which will ultimately lead to an Iraqi work force that has a sense of achievement. Honest, hard work will develop citizens that are proud and are not steered to joining anti-government organizations.”
