Cablegate: Post Response: U.S.-Bahrain Fta Government

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

171244Z Mar 04

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000370

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AND EB/TPP/MTA/MST ADILWORTH
DEPT PASS USTR JASON BUNTIN, AND JEAN GRIER
USDOC FOR JLIUZZI AND SPIETAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD PREL BA
SUBJECT: POST RESPONSE: U.S.-BAHRAIN FTA GOVERNMENT
PROCUREMENT

REF: STATE 52560

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Post-proposed additions to the GOB's list of government
entities that may be of interest to U.S. suppliers
-------

1. Post believes that the following should be ADDED to the
list of government entities that conduct procurements that
may be of interest to U.S. suppliers:

--Royal Court
--Prime Minister's Court
--Crown Prince's Court

The following have independent budgets and so should also be
included:
--Bahrain Defence Force (BDF)
--Civil Service Bureau
--National Audit Court
--Directorate of Legal Affairs
--Bahrain Customs and Ports Directorate
--Bahrain Stock Exchange
--Cultural and National Heritage Directorate
--Tourism and Marketing Directorate
--Publications Directorate
--Housing Bank
--Bahrain Monetary Agency
--Bahrain Stock Exchange
--University of Bahrain
--Bahrain Training Institute
--Bahrain Center for Studies & Research
--Bahrain International Circuit
--Supreme Council for Women
--Specific Councils
--Supreme Council for Profession Training
--Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance

Entities covered by the Tenders Law all have the potential to
conduct significant procurements that could be of interest to
U.S. suppliers.

----------------------
State Owned Enterprises
----------------------
2. State owned enterprises (SOEs) in which the government has
a greater than 50 percent ownership and that conduct
procurements that could be of interest to U.S. suppliers:

--Bahrain National Gas Company (Banagas): 75 percent state
ownership (SO)
--Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco): 100 percent SO
--Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA): 77 percent SO (NOTE: A
recently-signed MOU with ALCOA would give ALCOA a 26 percent
stake in ALBA, leaving the GOB with a 51 percent stake.
Please discuss inclusion of ALBA in the Agreement with ALCOA.
END NOTE).
--Bahrain Development Bank: 100 percent SO
--Bahrain Flour Mills (BFM): 65.73 percent SO
--Bahrain Monetary Agency (NOTE: This is Bahrain's Central
Bank. END NOTE)
--Bahrain Stock Exchange
--Mina Salman and Hidd Ports (Customs and Ports Directorate,
Ministry of Finance, but managed by a private company): 100
percent SO

3. The following entreprises identified as SOEs reftel do not
meet the 50 percent state ownership (SO) threshold:
--Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (GARMCO): 25.47 percent
SO
--Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (BALEXCO): 15.76
percent SO
--Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY): 18.84 percent SO
--Gulf Air (co-owned by Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi): GOB
owns 33 percent
--Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BATELCO): 29.6 percent
SO
--Bahrain International Airport: 16.5 percent SO

4. No Commercial Registration records were found for the
following:
--Gulf Aluminium Industries (joint venture between Bahrain
and Italy)
--Bahrain Atomisers International
--Bahrain-Saudi Aluminium Marketing Company (BALCO)

5. The following enterprises listed as SOEs reftel are not
SOEs:
--Al Ayam (The Days) (Pro-King newspaper, but not SO)
--Akhbar al Khalij (Gulf News) (Pro-Government, but not SO)
--Gulf Daily News (English-language newspaper)
(Pro-Government, but not SO)
--Bahrain ABC Islamic Bank

FORD

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