Exclusive interview with Senk Group’s President Abdulla Gardi

What is the state of the roads in the Kurdistan region?

Kurdistan has been undergoing a stage of extensive construction. As you know, construction in the region was minimal in the past and there are not very many roads in Kurdistan. Most roads were old and there is a great need to renew and rebuild these roads, as well as construct new lines of transportation including roads, tunnels, highways and railways.

What is happening in Kurdistan in terms of infrastructure development?

First we need big companies with the capability to work in a stable manner in Kurdistan. We need international companies to joint venture with local companies to carry out large projects in Kurdistan such as roads, highways, tunnels, dams, irrigation systems and water treatment.

Can you tell us more about the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy of Senk Group, in particular the Senk Care Foundation?

The strategy of Senk Group from when the company was established in 2000 until now is to produce top quality work. We believe that if you have a good quality product, you will be more profitable. Our strategy is to be one of the top construction companies in the Kurdistan region and all of Iraq. Our strategy is to produce high quality work and make our company the biggest company for road construction, tunnels, dams, irrigation systems, water treatment and other sectors.

For about the past five years, the Senk Care Foundation has been receiving not less than 15% of the profits from the Senk Group projects. The Senk Care Foundation helps people who need our help. For example, we are working in the health, youth and education sectors and anything else that people need in Kurdistan.

What is your vision for Senk Group?

With Kurdistan and Iraq now under construction, we are experiencing a lot of growth in Kurdistan so our vision is to work on this construction, in cooperation with international companies from France, the United States and other areas.

How do you see the collaboration between the private and the public sector?

The private sector has been advancing past the public sector because you know that any work in the private sector must be specialized and people in the private sector have to work harder than in the public sector. The work done by the private sector is more advanced and of higher quality than that of the public sector.

What are the main challenges affecting Kurdistan?

The main challenge is that we do not have a good master plan for our country. First of all, we should have a good business plan to work with to construct our cities. We should have good flow for investing, for example, in housing, roads such as the BOT and BST system. We should have incentives for international companies to invest in Kurdistan and partner with us in construction.

Can you explain the tendering process in Kurdistan?

The tendering process is moving in the right direction. I hope in the future it will be more merit-based and more transparent than it is now. Tendering starts with the announcement of the project. Companies submit their application and the government outlines pre-qualifications for the companies that want to participate in the project. After companies pass the pre-qualification, they can submit their tender. After submitting their tender, the government also does post-qualification and more auditing of the companies. For example, after I submit a tender to the government, the government will audit my company, our plans, and our financing.

Can you tell us about one of your upcoming projects?

In 2012 we received a highway project including a bridge and all finishing. We also have another large project that we are expecting to finalize soon.

Do you have any final thoughts?

My hope is that international companies will join our work in Kurdistan. We have a bright future and great potential for construction in Kurdistan and we want to work together to create a positive future for Kurdistan.