The Council of Ministers Holds the 5th Regular Session Chaired by Al-Sudani

Baghdad-INA

Prime Minister, Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, chaired the fifth 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.

A statement issued by the media office of the Prime Minister and received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA),"In the scope of the government's endeavors to develop the electricity sector and remove obstacles facing the work plans approved for execution, the Council of Ministers." approved the following:

1- Endorsement of the agreement for cooperation in the energy sector in Iraq - (the second phase) between the Ministry of Electricity and the company (Siemens Energy AG) after the previous company left.

2- The Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Finance will fund the projects according to priorities and over multiple years and provide the necessary allocations and financing to proceed with the projects according to the principles of cooperation.

3- Authorizing the Minister of Electricity the necessary powers to proceed with the implementation of projects, exempt from the instructions for implementing government contracts to guarantee speedy completion of projects.

The Council of Ministers agreed to authorize the Minister of Electricity to sign the memorandum of cooperation on energy in Iraq - the updated second phase between the Ministry of Electricity and General Electric International, to revise the agreement regarding cooperation previously signed between the two parties on October 15, 2018.

Also, in the electricity sector, the Council of Ministers agreed to amend the Council of Ministers Resolution (189 of 2021) so that all debts owed by the two companies (Maysan Energy Limited and Al-Amarah Energy Limited), wholly owned by Raban Al Safina Company for Energy Projects, will be extinguished in favor of the General Company for Ports of Iraq as a resulting of the accumulation of imported equipment for the two projects (the construction of the Maysan Investment Station and the construction of the Al-Amara  Combined Cycle Power Plant) in the port of Umm Qasr, based on the provisions of Article 46/9th of the Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019) as amended and the Council of Ministers resolution (28 of 2020), provided that there is a financial allocation equivalent to the amount of the debt amortization (or extinguishment) and that the Ministry of Electricity bears full responsibility for the validity of the aforementioned company's claims regarding the affiliation of the goods to the two investment projects mentioned.

The Ministry of Transport / the General Company for Iraqi Ports was obligated to secure the financial allocation equivalent to the amount of extinguishment, according to what was stated in the Ministry of Finance's letter, to guarantee the rights of all parties—provided that the Ministry of Electricity does not bear any costs since the reasons for stopping the two projects above were because of force majeure due to (COVID-19 pandemic) at the time.

The Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Council of Economy to adjust the prices of petroleum products for private and mixed-sector projects according to the following:

1- The price of black oil supplied to oxidized asphalt plants shall be at 35% of the price of the international bulletin, provided that the price of one ton does not exceed 250 thousand dinars and with a quantity of 70-100% of the design capacity.
2- Factories that receive black oil at a price of 100,000 dinars per ton, so the situation remains as it is.
3- For the rest of the factories, the price will be 150 thousand dinars per ton.
4- All asphalt factories and other factories must register their workers with the social security departments within four months; otherwise, they will not be supplied with fuel.
5- The decision will be reviewed after three months and implemented from February 10, 2023.
To develop the civil aviation and air transport sector in Iraq, the Council of Ministers approved the following decision:

1- Amending the first paragraph of the Council of Ministers Resolution 332 of 2019 according to the following:
-  Iraq Civil Aviation Authority may hire several experts from the International Air Transport Association (IATA ) or the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), or in the form of a single contract with international or local experts, to develop the aviation and air transport sector in the fields of (aeronautical operations, Air navigation service, airport licensing, aviation security, licenses for civil aviation workers, aviation medicine). The value of the contract amount is paid in one payment, exempt from the instructions for implementing government contracts if the contract was concluded with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

2 - The Ministry of Finance to provide (15000000000) dinars, fifteen billion Iraqi dinars to the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority for the wages of experts and consultants.

The Council of Ministers also approved funding the Ministry of Finance with an amount of (1500000000) dinars, one billion and five hundred million dinars, to the Civil Aviation Authority to address the deficit of financial allocations and the approaching date of the audit of the authority.

With regards to the Council of Representatives letter regarding the costs of holding the 34th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, which Iraq will host, the Council of Ministers agreed to provide the Council of Representatives with funding of 2500000000 dinars, two billion five hundred million dinars. The funding will be from the actual expenditure of the Council of Representatives for the previous year, provided that the funded amount is settled within the Parliament's budget for 2023. All logistical requirements are to be provided in coordination with the relevant ministries and authorities.

The Council of Ministers discussed other issues on the agenda and approved the following:

First / The Ministry of Finance to secure the wages of the experts to be contracted by the Federal Board of Supreme Audit (5) billion dinars to fulfill the assignment according to the decision of the competent court to calculate the share of the state treasury amounting to (18%) of the revenues generated from mobile phone companies to date, provided that the Federal Board of Supreme Audit determined the required amounts.

Second / Approval of the second amendment bill to the law of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which was reviewed by the State Council, and referred to the Council of Representatives, taking into account the notes of the legal department from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and the notes of members of the Council of Ministers during the meeting session.