The Council of Ministers Holds the Third Regular Session Chaired by Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia’a Al-Sudani and Issues Important Decisions

Baghdad-INA   
The Media Office of the Prime Minister Prime Minister, Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that Al-Sudani chaired today the third regular session of the Council of Ministers. During the session, the Council of Ministers discussed the country's general situation, the most prominent issues, and the items on the agenda and issued several decisions.
 
  Al-Sudani talked about his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany and its most important outcomes. He stressed the government's keenness to implement the memorandums of understanding concluded and the important sections they contained, which contribute to the development of the electricity sector and address the problems of the national electricity grid.
 
Regarding the issue of the contracted workers with state ministries, and following the previous directives of the Prime Minister about resolving the case, the Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Finance to create job positions to be included in the federal budget of departments and sections according to the details shown in the correspondence with the Ministry of Finance, to confirm the employment of the contracted workers that hired before October 2, 2019.
 
According to the statement “(Following the Prime Minister's orders that focus on caring for the Iraqi ethnic components and guided by the government program principles, the Council of Ministers issued a decision obligating the ministries and other state institutions to fill job positions vacancies due to the transfer of an employee from the Christian component by members of the same ethnic component exclusively or other ethnic minorities, in each region, provided that the Federal Service Council ensures the implementation of the decision in coordination with the authorities by announcing these job vacancies duly.
 
Al-Sudani stressed to speed up completing service projects implemented by the engineering and service effort team in the populated areas, the Council of Ministers approved the following:
 
1- Exempting the service projects implemented by the service and engineering effort team from the instructions for implementing government contracts (2 of 2014) and the instructions for implementing the federal budget, and the requirements for executing various projects in the municipalities, like water projects, sewage projects, electricity, education, healthcare, and other projects, to ensure streamlining completion and flexibility in the implementation of these projects.
 
2- Authorizing the service and engineering effort team to directly implement and divide a single project into multiple projects to develop targeted areas, neighborhoods, and streets until the end of 2023.
 
Following the directives of the Prime Minister regarding activating electronic payment in all aspects of our lives, for its high level of protection and security, for saving time and effort, and for the fact that it will contribute to revitalizing the economy, the Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for Economy, which states the following:
 
1- The Central Bank of Iraq facilitates the procedures for granting licenses to collect bank cards using Points of Sale (POS) and reduces commissions on banks and entities that use these methods.
 
2- Require all governmental and non-governmental institutions, trade unions, associations, and all public centers that collect fees/payments to open bank accounts and provide point-of-sale devices for electronic payment (POS) so that all customers/individuals willing to pay with the card can do so and at the same time keep the cash payment option.
 
3- Require all private schools, universities, private colleges, and gas stations of all types and locations throughout Iraq to open bank accounts and provide point-of-sale devices for electronic payment (POS), to collect payment using bank cards at the same time, keep the cash payment option. Renewal of work permits and granting licenses to practice these professions will be issued after proving compliance with the providing POS devices.
 
4- Require all commercial centers, stores, restaurants, pharmacies, private medical clinics, and retail and wholesale marketing outlets, which collect payment for their services and goods within the boundaries of Baghdad and the centers of the governorates and districts throughout Iraq, to open bank accounts and provide point-of-sale devices for electronic payment (POS). Providing these POS devices is a prerequisite for Issuing and renewing licenses.
 
5- All governmental and private banks provide point-of-sale devices for electronic payment (POS) and payment by bank cards to the aforementioned entities and other customers to collect money electronically and throughout Iraq.
 
6- Exempting the contracts for importing electronic payment devices, points of sale (POS) devices, and automated teller machines (ATMs) from customs fees and taxes in all forms, and this decision is to be included in the federal budget for the year 2023.
 
7- Exempting all electronic payment transactions (POS) from taxes.
 
8- It will be implemented as of June 1, 2023.
 
The Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Council of Economy regarding deferral of the collection of customs duties for goods imported for the ministries and state institutions, including the Military Industrialization Authority, unless the contract stipulates that the exporter bears those fees, taking into account the following conditions:
 
1- The letter addressed to the Ministry of Finance / General Authority for Customs must be signed by the Minister or the authorized representative of the Minister.
 
2- The contract funding amount is specified in the federal budget of the Republic of Iraq.
 
3- The deferral of collecting fees includes imported materials and goods not protected by the Iraqi Products Protection Law (11 of 2010), and the agricultural calendar that covers the country's needs.
 
4- The competent authorities prepare lists of national commodities and products that are sufficient to meet the local need and provide the Ministry of Finance / General Authority for Customs with the lists regularly every month.
 
5- Review the deferral (every six months).
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
In the same context, the Council of Ministers agreed to amend the Council of Ministers's Decision (65 of 2022) regarding imported goods for the public and private sectors that are exempt from fees at border crossings, according to the following:
 
1- Paragraphs (3 and 4) of the decision shall be repealed and replaced with the following:
(Forming an investigative team of the general managers of the legal departments or whomever they authorize on behalf of (the National Investment Commission, the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, and the Government Contracts Department in the Ministry of Planning, and they meet at the headquarters of the Iraqi Customs Authority headed by a representative of Federal Board of Supreme Audit), which is responsible for checking all exemption/waiver requests and referring them to the Iraqi Customs Authority to take the necessary action according to the approved standard procedures, and to use official e-mail for correspondence, and requests must be settled within one week from the date of receiving them by the committee.
 
2- Amending Paragraph (5) of the decision to be as follows:
 
(The aforementioned audit team is authorized to work with the Investigation and Anti-Smuggling Department of the Iraqi Customs Authority to follow up on the exempted materials and ensure that they are not smuggled to the local markets).
 
The Council of Ministers discussed other issues on the agenda and issued the following decisions:
 
First: The Ministry of Justice contracts the Police Martyrs Fund in the Ministry of Interior, and specialized companies in the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, to equip the Notaries Public and Real Estate Registration Departments with secured real estate bonds, provided that the payment will be completed when the federal budget.
 
Second: Approval of the recommendation of the Diwani Order Committee (22380), which was formed to follow up on the implementation of the ministerial agenda (paragraph I-13), according to the following:
 
Underscoring the right of all parties duly registered with the Independent High Electoral Commission to exercise their constitutional political activities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and all governorates according to the law.
 
Third:
1- The Ministry of Planning estimates the completed work in the project of purchasing modern aircraft from Boeing and informs the Ministry of Finance to send the funds for that.
 
2- The Ministry of Finance will include the project's funding allocations in the federal budget law for the fiscal year 2023.
 
Fourth: The cancellation of Paragraph (2) of the Council of Ministers Decision (369 of 2021) and reattaching the Department of Reservoirs and Oil Fields Development and the Department of Petroleum Contracts and Licenses to the Federal Ministry of Oil, based on the decision of the Federal Supreme Court.
 
Fifth: Funding the Iraqi Media Network with (7) billion dinars from the Ministry of Finance, according to the mechanism followed by the Council of Ministers Decision (15 of 2022), funded by the Office of the Prime Minister.
 
Sixth: Approval of the bill for the Accession of the Republic of Iraq to the Basic Food Security Agreement, established on February 19, 2018, and referring it to the Council of Representatives based on the provisions of the constitution.
 
Seventh: Approving the secondment of the Director of the Information and Communications Technology Department in the Oil Marketing Company/ the Ministry of Oil to work in OPEC to occupy the position of Director of the Information Services Department, Grade B, for two years, renewable for one year as a maximum, according to the provisions of the Civil Service Law (24 of 1960).
 
Media Office of the Prime Minister
January 17, 2023