The Cabinet holds the 48th session, decisions included

INA - BAGHDAD
 
The Cabinet issued, during the 48th regular session held on Tuesday, a number of decisions, including amending the voluntary deduction of (1%) from the salary, allowances, and retirement salary, to be for a period of 6 months only, starting from December 1, 2024, and for those wishing to donate only, to support the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. 
 
PM Muhammad S. Al-Sudani chaired the session during which general developments in the country were discussed, a number of important files were discussed, and their implementation was followed up, in addition to discussing the topics included on the agenda and taking the necessary decisions regarding them, according to PM’s Media Office - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.
 
Al-Sudani blessed "the completion of the general population and housing census, as a national entitlement that has been delayed for decades, and witnessed delays and obstructions after 2003, and the government was able to implement it. The value of the census is not only statistical aspect and digital data, but it is an indicator of the stability of the country, its political system and the awareness of its people." 
 
“Work on the population characteristics will take place in the coming days, and emphasis on the continuation of the census process for Iraqis abroad. The efforts of the Ministry of Planning in employing resources and capabilities, and absorbing challenges,” he explained, appreciating "the efforts of the Statistics Committee, the supporting ministries, the governorates and all community activities, especially the religious leaders and authorities in their support and directives to cooperate in completing the national census." 
 
The statement confirmed that "With the aim of improving the communications services provided to citizens, and finding a national operator for mobile phone networks, the Cabinet approved the selection of Vodafone International Communications Company as the operator of the national mobile phone license project with fifth-generation technology, and assigned the Ministry of Communications to proceed with the preparatory procedures for the project, based on the company's readiness to work in Iraq, and depending on the support of the government as well as the ministry to make this project a success, which will be owned by the state. It aims to provide the best services to citizens, maximize revenues, keep pace with technological development, and employ young national energies after training them on the latest advanced technological techniques." 
 
The Cabinet approved amending its decision regarding the voluntary deduction of (1%) from the salary, allowances, and retirement salary, to be for a period of 6 months only, starting from December 1, 2024, and only for those wishing to donate, in order to support the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, “It voted to amend its decision (24809 of 2024) to provide the Lebanese Republic with (320) thousand tons of wheat instead of flour." 
 
The statement stressed that "within the Cabinet follow-up of the management of airports, air navigation and air transport services, the following was approved:
 
1- Separating the management of Iraqi airports from the General Company for the Management of Airports and Air Navigation, and linking it to the Ministry of Transport, and it will be at the level of a department without a general directorate, based on the provisions of the Administrative Formations Creation Law (12 of 2011).
 
2- Amending the name of the General Company for the Management of Airports and Air Navigation to (the General Company for Air Navigation Services), and removing the airport management activity from it, and the company shall take the necessary measures to amend its internal regulations and founding statement accordingly.
 
3- The real estate belonging to the Ministry of Finance, occupied by the airports linked to the aforementioned company, shall be transferred to the Ministry of Transport.
 
4- The services of the workers in those airports shall be transferred to the Ministry Above, while retaining the allocations granted to them, based on the provisions of the State Employees’ Salaries Law No. 22 of 2008.
 
5- The Ministry of Transport shall replace the General Company for Airports and Air Navigation Management in implementing all technical, legal and financial obligations resulting from previous contracts related to airports, by concluding an attached contract or agreement with the contracting company.
 
The statement stated that "within the government's work to achieve financial reform, the Cabinet approved the following for government banks that have non-moving bank accounts and zero bank accounts:
 
1- Close bank accounts that have previously implemented Resolution No. (23581 of 2023) Paragraph (Second-1) by withdrawing their balances and making them zero, amounting to (529) bank accounts, based on the approved tables and statements.
 
2- Close bank accounts with zero balances, amounting to (313) bank accounts, with central funding, and (773) bank accounts with self-funding.
 
“Within the framework of the government's efforts to raise the level of capabilities of our armed forces, the Council of Ministers approved the allocation of an amount of (5) billion dinars, from the emergency reserve, to the Counter-Terrorism Service to proceed with the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Service Academy, based on the provisions of the Federal General Budget Law of the Tripartite Year (13 of 2023),” added the statement.
 
The statement explained that "within the Cabinet’s follow-up to the file of completing stalled projects, and proceeding with infrastructure projects, the Council approved the following:
 
1- Allocating an amount of (1.535542) trillion dinars within the budget of the National Investment Commission, when preparing proposals for investment budget allocations for the years (2025 and 2026), for the amounts of the Bismayah City project.
 
2- Increasing the total cost and reserve amount for the (Ramadi Teaching Hospital) project.
 
3- Removing the component of establishing the College of Education for Girls, creating three components for functionally separate buildings, and increasing the total cost of the project to establish the College of Education for Girls.
 
4- Increasing the reserve amount and total costs for (9) service projects in Diyala Governorate.
 
In the field of supporting the work and projects of service and engineering efforts, the Cabinet approved “the exemption of works implemented in the direct implementation method by the team, formed pursuant to Cabinet Resolution (286 of 2022) from the provisions of the first paragraph of Cabinet Resolution (23713 of 2023), related to the implementation of projects, and the inclusion of works implemented in this manner, within the budget (special programs), in the 2025 budget tables, for the Prime Minister's Office, based on the Federal General Budget Law (13 of 2023)." 
 
The statement pointed out that "the session witnessed approval to amend Cabinet Resolution (23718 of 2023) to include working with the text of the original resolution that granted the competent minister the authority to implement an exception from the instructions for implementing government contracts, and the instructions for facilitating the implementation of the budget, in the event that the companies implementing the main projects refuse to implement the conflict resolution project, provided that work is carried out according to the powers in the controls and provisions for implementing and following up on investment budget projects No. (1 of 2023 amended). If the projects have been included in the investment budget, and a specific amount is determined for conflict resolution contracts, not exceeding (25%) or (50%) of the contract value, and anything in excess is done through an announcement." 
 
The Cabinet approved the ownership of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Municipalities, the plot of land numbered (597/1/Al-Qasim), to the private secretariat of the shrine of Al-Qasim bin Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (peace be upon them) in Babil Governorate, based on Legislative Resolution (693 of 1973), and the provisions of the Law on Ownership of Amiri Lands Located Within Municipal Boundaries No. (80 of 1970), and without compensation." 
 
The Cabinet discussed other topics on its agenda, and approved the following:
First / Amending Cabinet Resolution No. (24479 of 2024), regarding the working paper submitted by the Geologists Syndicate, which includes the Ministry of Finance allocating an annual grant of (150) million dinars to the Arab Geologists Union to pay the wages of employees and activities of the General Secretariat Office of the Arab Geologists Union in Baghdad.
 
Second / Amending Cabinet Resolution No. (23377 of 2023), which includes amending the phrase shown at the end of Cabinet Resolution (371 of 2021) regarding the number of employees in the staff of the General Authority for Monitoring the Allocation of Federal Revenues, which specified them as (80) employees only from the employees covered by the State and Public Sector Employees Salaries Law No. (22 of 2008) as amended.
 
Third /
- Implementation of the Ministry of Commerce / General Company for Central Markets Council Resolution (92 of 2021).
 
- The Ministry of Finance allocating a plot of land To the Ministry of Health, in accordance with the Law on Ownership of Public Lands and Buildings (3 of 1960), for the purpose of developing Al-Hindiya General Hospital.