The Cabinet holds the 52nd regular session, including decisions

INA - BAGHDAD

The Cabinet held on Tuesday, the 52nd regular session chaired by Prime Minister Muhammed S. Al-Sudani, where discussions on the country's overall situation, key issues, and agenda items led to the issuance of various decisions.

"In alignment with the government's commitment to bolster the sports sector and enhance our national football team's presence in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qatar, scheduled for next month, the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Transportation to provide discounted flights for Iraqis intending to participate in the event," according to a statement by the PM Media Office, received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

The statement included, "This applies to individuals holding official cards approved by tournament organizers. Additionally, the Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with coordinating with Qatari authorities to streamline the process of issuing entry visas for the participants.

The Cabinet has granted ownership rights to 250 displaced families from the Slaen area in Basra Governorate. These families will now possess lands situated beyond the municipal borders of Basra, as approved by the Cabinet. The allocated lands come at a price exempt from the public bidding procedures, as outlined in the amended Law on the Sale and Rent of State Funds (21 of 2013).

As part of the government’s continued support for youth, the Cabinet agreed to amend paragraph (29) of the Cabinet Resolution (23465 of 2023) regarding youth proposals to become as follows:

- Grant funding for the winning programs will be from the amount of 5 billion dinars allocated to the Department of Non-Governmental Organizations in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to support volunteer organizations and teams.

In line with the Prime Minister's directive to expedite the progress of delayed projects, including the Baghdad Metro Project, the Cabinet has authorized the inclusion of activities related to the project—such as designing and overseeing implementation—in the investment budget schedules of the Mayoralty of Baghdad for the year 2023. The total cost allocated for these projects amounts to 913,804,000,000 dinars. 

This decision comes after the Mayoralty of Baghdad fulfilled all listing requirements and secured confirmation from the investor regarding their commitment to covering the entire project cost.

In the energy sector, the Ministerial Council for Energy (23101) for the year 2023 has endorsed the recommendation put forth by the opinion committee within the Ministry of Electricity. The approved measures are as follows:

Granting authorization to the Minister of Electricity or his designated representative to execute a memorandum outlining the principles of cooperation between the Ministry of Electricity and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. This collaborative effort aligns with the Ministry's strategic plan and is contingent upon the availability of financial allocations earmarked for this purpose.

In the realm of energy, the Ministerial Council for Energy's recommendation (23098) for the year 2023 has been approved, outlining the following key points:

1. Financing share of the Ministry of Oil/Basra Oil Company in the West Qurna/1 field, by the Cabinet Resolution (2 of 2022), with an allocated amount of $250 million. This funding will be sourced from exported crude oil handled by the Oil Marketing Company, with the amounts securely deposited in a designated bank account outside Iraq. The process is to be governed by a specialized agreement established with the new principal operator of the field, namely the Basra Oil Company.

2. The West Qurna/1 field is an integral component of the petroleum licensing rounds project, as outlined in the investment plan and project allocations specified in the Federal Budget Law (13 of 2023). The Ministry of Finance will employ the same mechanism used for settlement restrictions in other oil fields.

3. All profits, administrative charges, and benefits resulting from participation in the service contract for the West Qurna/1 field will accrue to the Basra Oil Company. This is consistent with the company's share in the Zubair oil field.

4. The approval of a share sale agreement between ExxonMobil and the Basra Oil Company, entailing the payment of the share sale price after the final settlement made in kind through the provision of crude oil.

The Cabinet has approved a capital augmentation for the General Company for Private Transport Management. The approved increase elevates the company's capital to (30,301,762,716) dinars, a substantial rise from its existing capital of (675) million dinars, marking a noteworthy increase of (29,626,762,716) dinars. This decision is per the provisions outlined in the amended Public Companies Law (22 of 1997).

The Ministry of Transportation shall take the necessary measures to implement what was stated in paragraph (1) mentioned above.

As part of the government's commitment to preserving antiquities and heritage, the recommendation (23037) of the Ministerial Council for Human Development for the year 2023 was approved. This recommendation includes the approval to refer the projects involving the rehabilitation of the Nineveh Wall and the Kirkuk Citadel (among other projects focused on the rehabilitation and maintenance of antiquities) to reputable companies endorsed by UNESCO, which specialize in utilizing the direct invitation method exempt from the contracting methods outlined in the Instructions for Implementing Government Contracts (2 of 2014), due to the specialized nature of these projects.

Approval was granted to rectify procedures conducted by the Babil Governorate and establish a contractual framework for the road rehabilitation project connecting Baghdad and Holy Karbala Governorates.

This involves adhering to proper procedures for disbursing entitlements to the implementing companies. The contract mandates the implementing party's responsibility for executed works and commits to maintenance, with the stipulation that it upholds the validity and safety of contracting procedures. The Babil Governorate is tasked with evaluating the completed works, ensuring adherence to specified technical specifications, and verifying alignment with the pre-established quantity schedule. This assessment is conducted in consideration of the actual implementation status and is supported by pertinent technical committees.

The Cabinet has endorsed the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's recommendations to relocate the headquarters of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils to Iraq. The approved actions include:

1. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will oversee the restoration and rehabilitation of the building, as well as fulfill furnishing requirements using the revenues from the Higher Education Fund at the Ministry's headquarters.

2. The Ministry of Finance is directed to allocate 50% of Iraq's annual federal budget as contributions, starting from the fiscal year 2025.

3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is instructed to streamline procedures for employees of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils.

4. Private universities are called upon to provide necessary support to the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils by the Private Higher Education Law No. 25 of 2016.

The Cabinet continued to discuss other topics on the agenda and the following decisions were taken:

Firstly, the economic reform bill has been approved, and it is now submitted for thorough examination by the State Council. Following this scrutiny, it will be returned to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet for direct submission to the Parliament. This process adheres to constitutional provisions and takes into consideration any observations made during the hearing.

Secondly, Amend the name (1st Baghdad International Film Festival), stated in Cabinet Resolution (23098 of 2023), to become the name (1st Youth Cinema Festival 2023).

Thirdly, the Cabinet has given its approval for the Ministry of Interior's project involving providing equipment and installation of an integrated camera system. The expenses related to the cameras will be covered by the revenues from the border crossings, with Baghdad Governorate contributing 50% as specified in the contract between the implementing company and the Ministry of Interior.

Fourthly, a reallocation of funds has been granted to the Ministry of Health. This allocation is intended to finance contracts for medicines, medical devices, and medical supplies, by the provisions outlined in the Federal Budget Law (13 of 2023) and sourced from Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.