Tanzania to host African finance ministers conference

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania will join the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to host a continental conference on the ongoing global financial crisis and its impact on the continent.

Taking part in the two-day conference will be finance ministers and central bank governors from African countries, according to a press statement issued by the IMF.

The conference, slated for March 10-11 in Dar es Salaam, will also draw participants from the academic circle and the private sector.

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in the statement that the objective of the conference is to discuss the impact of the financial crisis on Africa and to learn from the continent's successful economic experiences, especially in terms of macro-economic stability and growth.

Iraq's oil exports reach 56 mln barrels in December 2008

BAGHDAD, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraq said that its oil exports reached 56.2 million barrels in December last year, an Oil Ministry statement said on Sunday.

According to the statement, 43.4 million barrels were exported through Basra terminals in the Gulf, while 12.8 million barrels were exported through Turkey's port of Ceyhan, adding the oil was purchased by 23 international oil companies.

The statement, meanwhile, showed that the month's revenues from the country's crude oil exports were about 1.943 billion dollars, with an average price of about 34.57 per barrel.

However, the revenues from December were fallen from 2.299 billion dollars in November, when the average of the oil price was about 43.54 a barrel.

Iraq oil reserve is reportedly to be the world's third-largest, which needs billions of dollars investment to overhaul its oil industry infrastructure and increase oil and gas output after 13 years of sanctions and war.