Cabinet decisions at today's session

Baghdad-INA   
Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, chaired today the 15th regular session of the Council of Ministers.
A statement issued by the media office of the Prime Minister and received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) said “During the session, the Council of Ministers discussed the country's general situation, the most prominent issues relevant to the priorities of the government program, and the items on the agenda and issued several decisions.
 
According to the statement, the Council of Ministers discussed the Ministerial Council of Economy's recommendation regarding the high weights of cargo trucks, the damage they cause on the main roads, their threat to public safety, and the importance of regulating the weight limits of their loads.
 
The Council of Ministers approved resuming the work of the Council of Ministers' decision (214 of 2020) confirmed in its decision (463 of 2021) and enforcing complying with the weight limit for each truck. The truck will be unloaded if the load exceeds the permitted weight limit, and the driver will be fined under Public Roads Law No. (35) of 2002.
 
In line with what was stated in the government program concerning addressing the housing problem and reducing the burden on our citizens under the current economic conditions of the country, and in collaboration with the Iraqi Housing Fund to contribute more to solving the housing problem, within the reconstruction plan pursued by the government, the Council of Ministers approved increasing the amounts and duration of loans of the Iraqi Housing Fund and adjusting them according to the following:
 
1- Increasing the loan amount to 60 million dinars for the center of the capital Baghdad and its districts, and the centers of the governorates and its districts, based on the provisions of the Iraqi Housing Fund Law, as well as canceling the limit for retirement age. This decision shall be implemented from the date of its issue.
 
To motivate and honor the citizens who support the state's efforts in implementing its service projects, the Council of Ministers agreed to grant donors of plots of land for building schools and for investment plan projects additional public service positions (employment grades) for encouragement. The Ministry of Finance and the Federal Public Service Council shall implement the provisions above according to specialization.
 
In the context of proceeding with the implementation of the priorities of the government program concerning addressing the problem of unemployment and mitigating its effects, the Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for Social Services, which includes:
 
1- The Federal Service Council took the guidance of the database located in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs / the Special Labor and Vocational Training Department, the number of unemployed (1,589,556) person, as this database includes college certificates holders in various specializations and others who do not have certificates. The competent authority will accommodate them and create job opportunities to reduce unemployment and improve their economic and living conditions.
2- Creating a national program to raise awareness and introduce the importance of inclusion in the retirement and social security law for all (private sector) workers, which targets the youth group to secure decent job opportunities and reduce resorting to government jobs (public sector).
3- Increasing the number of day-care centers to increase women's participation in the labor market, which amounts to (10.6%), based on the Labor Law, by establishing day-care centers in projects where women work to allocate loans granted for this purpose only.
 
The Council of Ministers approved that the Ministry of Finance would provide five hundred thousand dollars to the Civil Aviation Authority to conclude a contract with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to develop and rehabilitate Baghdad International Airport exempt from the instructions for implementing government contracts (2 of 2014).
 
The Council of Ministers discussed other issues on the agenda and issued the following decisions:
 
First: Approval of the bill for the Accession of the Republic of Iraq to the Statute of the International Council of Dates, effective on February 16, 2022, and was audited by the State Council and referred to the Council of Representatives, based on the provisions of the constitution.
 
Second: endorsement of the proposal for the first amendment to the Foreigners Residence Law No. (76) of 2017, taking into account the opinion of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, confirmed by their legal memorandum.
 
Third: Approval of the bill for the Second Amendment to the Law on Personal Liability Insurance for Employees of State Departments and the Public Sector No. (47) of 1990, which was audited by the State Council, and referred to the Council of Representatives, based on the provisions of the constitution, taking into account the opinion of the Ministry of Finance and the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers indicated in the legal department memorandum.
 
Fourth: Approval of changing the name of Al-Furat General Company for Chemical Industries and Pesticides to (Al-Furat General Company for Chemical Industries), based on the decision of the company's board of directors and the provisions of the amended Public Companies Law No. (22 of 1997).
 
Fifth: Approval of amending the second paragraph of Cabinet Resolution (23080 of 2023) to become as follows:
Transfer of the General Company for Iraqi Ports ownership of areas of the specified plots of land; The Ministry of Finance transferred the specified land areas as well, according to the accompanying profile of the letter of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, with a total area of (4500) dunums, to the Ministry of Industry and Minerals / the General Company for Petrochemical Industries, to allocate them to establish the Nibras Petrochemicals project exclusively, based on the provisions of the Law on the Sale and Lease of State Assets (21 for the year 2013) as amended, and write off the amount of the price according to the Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019) as amended.