BRIEFING - ASIA INFRASTRUCTURE - JAN 1, 2004.

An executive briefing on infrastructure for Jan 1, 2004, prepared by Asia Pulse (http://www.asiapulse.com), the real-time, Asia-based wire with exclusive news, commercial intelligence and business opportunities.

IRAN CABINET EARMARKS FUNDS FOR BAM RESIDENTS

TEHRAN - Cabinet ministers earmarked rls 3,410 billion (US$425 million) to rehabilitate the tragedy-hit city of Bam. The Management and Planning Organization (MPO) said on Tuesday that the cabinet held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to allocate fund for rehabilitation of the city.

Around Rls 720 billion (US$90 million) will be spent on emergency crisis management and mobilization of the government resources to regulate the reconstruction drive in the city, it said.

IRANIAN BANKS TO PROVIDE US$82.5 MLN IN CREDIT TO BAM RESIDENTS

TEHRAN - Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Mehdi Karbasian said on Tuesday that the banking system would contribute rls 660 billion (US$82.5 million) in credit to build 10,000 houses and farms in the quake-hit city of Bam.

He said that rls 500 billion of the ...