The Cabinet holds the 38th session, decisions included

INA - BAGHDAD

The Cabinet issued several decisions during its regular session held on Tuesday including granting the winners of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games a distinctive residential plot in their hometown and a monthly financial grant for 10 years.

The Cabinet held its thirty-eighth regular session headed by PM Muhammed S. Al-Sudani, where various topics and files were followed up and discussed, in the political, economic, and security aspects, as well as the service performance of state agencies, and the progress of implementing the government program according to its priorities, in addition to discussing what is on the agenda and taking the necessary decisions regarding it, according to a statement by the PM's Media Office - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

As part of the government's sponsorship of sports activities, and the victory achieved in the Paralympic Games arena, the Cabinet approved granting the winners of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games a distinctive residential plot of land with an area of (200 m2 in their hometown, except the condition of submitting a pledge not to benefit previously, as well as granting the winners a monthly financial grant for 10 years starting from the date of the first grant, and this grant is renewed whenever they achieve a new achievement, amounting to 750 thousand dinars for the first place winner, 700 thousand dinars for the second place winner, and 650 thousand dinars for the third place winner. 

In continuation of the government's approach to developing laws related to combating drugs, the Cabinet approved the draft law amending the first law of the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No.50 of 2017, which was reviewed by the State Council, and referred to the Parliament based on the provisions of the constitution, taking into account the observations of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet. 

In this regard, the Prime Minister stressed "the need for this amendment, which includes raising the level of the Department of Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, so that it can confront this dangerous scourge," referring to "the government's tireless efforts in this regard, and supporting its relevant agencies in Baghdad and the governorates, in a manner that is commensurate with the size of this problem that threatens all societies."

Regarding following up on the affairs of the oil sector, the Cabinet approved the amicable settlement between the two parties to the contract; the Ministry of Oil/Middle Oil Company, and the Pakistani PPL Company; by the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for Energy, regarding the termination of the Exploration Block No.8 contract, and the signing of the amicable settlement agreement that includes closing all the reciprocal requirements of the two parties, by paying $6 million from the Middle Oil Company to the Pakistani PPL Company, provided that the amount is paid from the allocations of the project to pay the dues of the licensing round companies in kind in an equivalent amount of crude oil. 

The Cabinet approved the exemption of the Ministry of Oil/Basra Oil Company from the controls and instructions issued by the Communications and Media Commission regarding the entry of communication materials and equipment, control and command devices related to the production process upon their arrival at Iraqi ports, provided that the import license and required documents are completed later, for the public interest, as the aforementioned materials and equipment are subject to inspection by the competent authorities at any time.

The Cabinet approved allowing the Ministry of Electricity to contract to equip integrated secondary stations and E-House stations, at a total cost of 246.240 million euros, and an annual allocation for the year 2024, of 100 billion dinars.

The Cabinet also considered several topics on the agenda and took the following decisions regarding them:

First/ Approval to implement the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Planning in the Republic of Iraq and the United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA on July 3rd, 2024, and its annex, signed on August 19, 2024, based on the provisions of the Treaty Contracting Law 35 of 2015.

Second/ Approval of the fourth periodic report on the Universal Periodic Review - UPR prepared by the Ministry of Justice, and also the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to refer the aforementioned report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva by the specified date, October 1, 2024.

Third/ Approval of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority contracting with a specialized international company to assess the risks arising from facilities that exceeded the limits of obstacle surfaces within the air easement areas of Baghdad International Airport. The contract shall be at the expense of the investors of the facilities, provided that the amounts are deposited in a bank account and disbursed by order of the Aviation Authority.

Fourth/ Amending the second paragraph of Cabinet Resolution 23634 of 2023, to include authorizing the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Municipalities to re-announce the project as an investment opportunity with the authority to negotiate with investors to establish the Al-Amiriya residential complex in Baghdad.