Iraqi business owners bid on contracts

FALLUJAH, Iraq, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Small-business owners in Iraq attended training seminars at business centers in Fallujah and Ramadi to learn how to bid on government contracts, officials said.

U.S. Marines and civilian reconstruction officials hosted seminars at the refurbished Fallujah Business Development Center and the Ramadi Business Center using a bilingual presentation to advocate the expansion of small-business operations in Anbar province, a release by the U.S. II Marine Expeditionary Force said.

A Marine contracting official said the local sheiks and business owners met the chance to bid on U.S. government contracts with enthusiasm.

The seminar focused on training local businessmen how to find solicitations advertised by the U.S. government on the Internet and advised them to register with a U.S. database to receive future request-for-quotes, the official said.

The Marines reported 135 sheiks and local businesses attended the seminars.