Details and decisions, the Cabinet holds regular session

INA - BAGHDAD 

The Cabinet issued several new decisions during its 29th session, including the preparation of a draft by the legal department in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet for a draft amendment to the general amnesty law, according to a statement by the PM Media Office, received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

PM Muhammed S. Al-Sudani, chaired the 29th Regular Session of the Cabinet on Tuesday. During the session, they discussed the country's general situation, the most prominent issues, and the items on the agenda in addition to issuing several decisions.

Upon receiving directives from the Prime Minister to prioritize the improvement of healthcare services and expedite stalled hospital projects, the Cabinet approved the recommendations from the 33rd session of the Diwani Order Committee (45 of 2018). These recommendations aim to devise effective ways, mechanisms, and solutions to promptly complete public hospital projects, taking into account valuable input from the Cabinet during the session.

The statement included that the Cabinet has given its approval to the Energy Ministerial Council's (23052) recommendation for 2023. This recommendation concerns the construction of a liquid gas pipeline (Halfaya-Basra) at a speed of 16 knots. The approved measures are as follows:

1. Allocate a loan of $50 million to the Ministry of Oil companies, specifically the Oil Pipelines Company, to fund the 16-knot (Halfaya-Basra) liquid gas pipeline project and initiate contracting procedures with relevant companies, pending the approval of the Board of Directors.

2. Grant authorization to the designated company to carry out contracting procedures within the financial authority, as per the Cabinet Resolution (372 of 2011). The Ministry of Oil will ensure the integrity and validity of all contractual procedures.

3. The Ministry of Oil, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning, will include the completed project in the basic listing requirements to secure the necessary funds from the Ministry's investment projects allocations for the year 2023, as outlined in the Federal Budget Law. These funds will be utilized to repay the aforementioned loan.

Additionally, the Cabinet has given its approval to the Ministerial Energy Council's (23053) recommendation for 2023, specifically addressing solar energy projects and an investment opportunity (MOE-HQ-5/2019). The approved measures are as follows:

1. The Cabinet has adopted the minutes of the meeting held on June 4, 2023, between representatives of the Ministry of Electricity and the managing director of Al-Bilal Group Company. The meeting resulted in a reduction of the energy purchase tariff price for two solar power plants in Karbala (300 MW) and Alexandria city (225 MW) from $40.7 per megawatt-hour to $39.5 per megawatt-hour. The condition set is that 75 megawatts out of the total contracted energy, which amounts to 525 megawatts, must be implemented within a maximum period of 12 months from the date of signing the purchase contract and before the project's financial closure. Furthermore, there is room for the potential capacity increase at both sites in the future.

2. The Ministry of Electricity has been authorized to sign an addendum to amend the implementation contract with Al-Bilal Group Company, as per the recommendations of the Energy Ministerial Council (23021) for 2023. This addendum includes the provision for a payment guarantee issued by the Ministry of Finance, as stipulated in the signed contract terms.

"With these approvals in place, progress is being made towards advancing solar energy projects and investments, fostering a sustainable and efficient energy future," added the statement.

The session covered various agenda topics and resulted in the following decisions:

1. Approved the bill to cancel the decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council concerning Kirkuk Governorate. The bill will be referred to the Council of Representatives, following the provisions of the constitution.

2. Approved the requirements for conducting the general census of population and housing, as outlined in the Ministry of Planning's letter, by the notes from the legal department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. The disbursement will be carried out according to the existing instructions.

As for the 3rd / The session approved the following two points:

1. Authorization of the Director General of the General Commission for Taxes, in the Ministry of Finance, to negotiate and finalize a draft agreement aimed at avoiding double taxation and preventing tax evasion on income and capital between the government of the Republic of Iraq and the government of the Republic of Croatia. This authorization is granted by the provisions of the Constitution.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prepare the required authorization document, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Iraq, for the Director General of the General Commission for Taxes. The document will be based on the approved contexts and submitted to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers for the signature of the Prime Minister.

The statement also included, "Fourth / The session approved the minutes of the sixth meeting of the Diwani Order Committee (23101), which discussed the mechanisms and controls for issuing sovereign guarantees to the Iraqi private sector. These measures are in line with the implementation of the provisions of the Federal Budget Law for the fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. The meeting took place on June 19, 2023."

Additionally, "it was agreed to conduct a thorough review of the current controls' effectiveness and development. It should be completed no later than the end of the current year."

By the government program approved by Parliament on October 27, and as per the political agreement among the parties that formed the government, which involved a legal review of the general amnesty law, the Cabinet has directed the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to draft a bill amendment to the law. This amendment aligns with the text previously voted on by the Parliament, as stated in the aforementioned part of the legislative component of the program, Paragraph (4), which reads as follows:

"Conducting a comprehensive legal review of the Amnesty Law to precisely define the crime of belonging to terrorist organizations. The proposed definition encompasses individuals proven to have engaged in various activities, such as working for terrorist organizations, recruiting members, committing criminal acts, assisting in terrorist activities, or being listed in the records of such organizations," highlighted the statement.