The Cabinet holds the 16th regular session, decisions included

INA - BAGHDAD

The Cabinet held the 16th regular session on Tuesday, which included highlights and decisions.

PM Muhammed S. Al-Sudani chaired the session where the general situations in the country were discussed, along with various service, economic, and social files as topics listed on the agenda were discussed, and necessary decisions were made regarding them, according to a statement by the PM Media Office received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

Al-Sudani outlined the outcomes of his official visit to the United States, detailing the benefits for Iraq across economic, political, security, and regional stability aspects. "The visit included the signing of several memorandums of understanding and partnerships involving Iraqi public and private sectors and leading American companies and financial institutions."

During the session, he reviewed the recent visit of the Turkish President to Baghdad, which included the signing of a bilateral strategic framework agreement and 26 memorandums of understanding across various institutions between the two countries, "This marks a significant advancement in bilateral relations, enhancing economic and developmental partnerships. Additionally, a quadrilateral understanding involving Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar, and the UAE was reached regarding the Development Road project and its investment opportunities. This phase signifies a new era in security, economic agreements, and the management of water resources from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers."

He directed the ministers to ensure the full implementation of the memorandums of understanding, maximize efforts for mutual benefits across all sectors covered by these agreements, and tasked relevant committees with securing the necessary resources for the successful execution of agreements with the United States and Türkiye.

The Cabinet discussed service, infrastructure, and delayed projects, making several decisions related to change orders and implementations as follows:

1. Increase in funding reserves for the project of Abu Ghar to Tel Al-Lahm road, 45 km in length, listed in the investment budget of the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works, as part of the priority projects under Cabinet Resolution No. 301 of 2021.

2. Increase in the total cost for the project of designing, studying, and implementing a complete concrete water project with a capacity of 1000 m3/hour, including transmission lines to the area of Umm Qasr.

3. Increase in the total cost and funding reserves for the project of reconstructing Al-Fayhaa Bridge in Basra.

4. Increase in the total cost and reserves for the project of constructing the third Fallujah Bridge and its approaches in Anbar Province.

5. Increase in the total cost and reserves for the project of constructing Juwaiba-Al-Hamidiyah (Al-Mamoun) Bridge.

6. Increase in the total cost and funding reserves for the project of completing the expansion and rehabilitation of the Karbala Children's Hospital, Phase II.

7. Creation of a project for supervision and monitoring of the construction of Shatra General Hospital with 200 beds, including furnishings, within the total project cost.

8. Increase in funding reserves for the project of constructing the second passage of Batira-Al-Fajr-Al Badeer Road, 163 km in total, with the first phase in Maysan Province covering 72 km, and an increase in the total project cost, along with the creation of a project named (the Two Concrete Sababat Bridges).

9. Creation of a project to resolve conflicts with the optical cable for the Two Sababat Bridges.

10. Increase in the total cost and funding reserves for the project of constructing the Palace of Justice in Najaf.

The Cabinet, in its continuous efforts to elevate educational standards, approved a recommendation from the Ministerial Council for Human Development (24011) for 2024, increasing the acceptance rate for top students from technical institutes from 10% to 20% for university admission exclusively in corresponding or related fields. This move aims to provide an opportunity for these students to pursue undergraduate studies.

Furthermore, the Cabinet decided to exempt projects related to the auxiliary network and the rehabilitation and development of national network pathways for optical cables from the contractual methods specified in the Execution of Government Contracts Instructions (2 for 2014). 

This exemption "is aimed at meeting the growing demands of state institutions for digital transformation projects and ensuring the needs of mobile companies and public institutions for increased internet capacity and fiber optic projects (FTTH), replacing traditional copper landlines, and including international transit projects in Iraq."

Additionally, the Cabinet endorsed the Economic Ministerial Council’s recommendation (24131), approving the Ministry of Oil’s request regarding the conversion of gas compressors from temporary to permanent customs entry for Basra Gas Company, "the General Authority of Customs will adjust the entry status of fourteen compressors, reflecting the assets of South Oil Company (51%) as per Cabinet Resolution (446 of 2012), with all associated fees to be borne by Basra Gas Company as stipulated by law."

In the energy sector, the Cabinet ratified the signing of a memorandum of understanding on associated gas for power generation between the Ministry of Electricity and Siemens Energy. It also approved the inclusion of the necessary projects and funding outlined in the memorandum by the Ministries of Planning and Finance. The Cabinet authorized the Ministry of Electricity to proceed with implementation, exempting it from the usual contractual methods outlined in the Execution of Government Contracts Instructions (2 for 2014) to ensure swift completion and achievement of the memorandum’s objectives.

Furthermore, the Cabinet repealed Resolution No. 308 of 2019, which had allocated funding outside the Ministry of Electricity's budget for the construction of a (400 KV) substation and the funding of three (132 KV) stations.

The Cabinet approved a bill to cancel Revolutionary Command Council (dissolved) Resolution No. 103 dated January 27, 1988, which had been reviewed by the State Council. This resolution merged the Directorate of Relations and the Planning Directorate into one, and made several administrative cancellations within the Ministry of Justice, abolishing the Inheritance Affairs Department within the Minors’ Welfare Directorate, removing its jurisdiction to issue inheritance rulings under the Minors’ Care Law, and transferred inheritance matters to the civil courts.

The Cabinet has approved the first amendment to the Martyrs' Foundation Law No. (2 of 2016), which was reviewed by the State Council and referred to the Parliament, taking into account the observations presented in the Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet authorized the Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Planning the power to negotiate and sign a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Planning of the Republic of Iraq and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), based on the provisions of Article 35 of the Treaty Law (2015). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to prepare the necessary authorization document on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Iraq for the Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Planning, according to the established procedures, and submit it to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to obtain the signature of the Prime Minister.

Furthermore, the Cabinet has authorized the Minister of Justice to negotiate and sign cooperation agreements between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Governments of the Republic of Italy and the Republic of Uzbekistan, concerning the transfer of prisoners serving custodial penalties sentences.

This is based on constitutional provisions, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prepare the necessary authorization document in the name of the Government of the Republic of Iraq for the Minister of Justice, according to approved procedures, and submit it to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet for the Prime Minister's signature.