Al-Zorfi Program: Signs of austerity government and the denial of losing institutions

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[size=52]Al-Zorfi Program: Signs of austerity government and the denial of losing institutions[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Wael Neama
[size=45]On the eve of the bloody clashes between those who broke the curfew and security forces, in the south of the country, Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zarfi presented a brief program of his ministry’s work.[/size]
[size=45]About 200,000 families in Iraq - not one of whom receives salaries from the state according to the statistics of the Ministry of Planning - were affected by the curfews imposed about 3 weeks ago, as this segment began to support calls to break the ban, as a way to pressure the government.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Zorfi’s program emphasized that it would reshape the crisis cell responsible for fighting the disease, and its program included brief words on the delivery of food to the affected areas following the imposition of the curfew, which is expected to be extended to the end of this April. He also warned the commissioner to form the government in statements following the publication of the 8-page program, of an "economic crisis" that might affect the process of securing salaries, and threatened to "suspend" the financing of non-productive enterprises. Adnan Al-Zorfi, the official in charge of forming the government, said yesterday that his cabinet will include "competent employees", while stressing that the political blocs promised to pass his government and support it. And the official Iraqi agency quoted Al-Zarfi as saying: "I have prepared a full ministerial cabinet composed of qualified employees and I will send them a CV in 48 hours before the session, according to the constitution." He added that he sent the government curriculum to Parliament Saturday (yesterday). Pending setting a session to vote on.[/size]
[size=45]Program for the transition period[/size]
[size=45]The prospect of the Al-Zrafi government program seemed more realistic for a ministry operating in a transitional phase, and for preparing early elections within one year of its formation, according to the government document consisting of 16 paragraphs. Contrary to his predecessor, who failed to pass his program, Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi, Al-Zarfi did not commit himself or his ministry to accountability to Parliament during the first three months, as did the first and accepted by Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Al-Zrafi followed Allawi's approach by choosing a quiet preamble to the introduction to the government program, but he warned that his ministry would face an arduous task of two main issues: the Corona epidemic, and the economic crisis.[/size]
[size=45]In the first paragraph of the curriculum, Al-Zorfi emphasized taking "strict measures" to implement the decisions of the Corona Crisis Cell, which he said would be reshaped, and would harness all governmental and societal capabilities to support them. The cell led by the Ministry of Health had faced political differences, after the current Health Minister Jaafar Allawi decided, last month, to deport the Chancellor of Prime Minister Hanan al-Fatlawi, for reasons that are not clear, while the resigned Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi responded to those decisions by establishing a wider cell (Health, Safety and Nationalism) headed by him, and news leaked that it (the cell) included part of the expelled from the first mini. Demonstrators, emphasizing the Al-Zrafi program, interpreted the "rigor" of implementing the measures of the crisis cell that would be rearranged, as an "increase in violence" against the marginalized and poor class in the country.[/size]
[size=45]Some residents, especially in poor areas (Al-Sadr City in Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Basra), refuse to continue to be “in house reservations” because they do not have monthly salaries to support their families. The government decided, a few days ago, to distribute 30,000 dinars to about 10 million Iraqis, who do not receive any salaries, pensions, or social welfare allowances, while that news does not seem to be reassuring for families with low incomes, which continue to try to break the ban.[/size]
[size=45]Government in light of an economic crisis[/size]
[size=45]Al-Zorfi said in statements yesterday that "the country is in catastrophe and may not be able to secure monthly salaries", while stressing that "oil belongs to the people and the government cannot dispose of it inappropriately."[/size]
[size=45]According to economists, because of the low oil prices (selling Iraq’s oil by about $ 18 per barrel), Iraq may enter the country in a monthly deficit of $ 4 billion, as Iraq’s monthly expenditures reach $ 6 billion, and its revenues (after the oil drop) are only $ 2 billion. monthly.[/size]
[size=45]And presents the new commissioner to form the government, another vision in the framework of facing the financial crisis, that "isolates" all institutions and non-productive departments from "the budget of spending." Al-Zarfi also mentioned in his ministerial program that he will "rationalize government spending". Al-Zrafi belongs to the Victory Bloc headed by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is the owner of the austerity policy that he applied between the years 2014-2018, and saved, according to former Minister of Planning in the government of the latter, Salman Jumaili, $ 14 billion, compared to borrowing $ 13 billion, according to the appearance of Muhammad Saleh , Economic Advisor in the governments of Al-Abadi and Abdul-Mahdi.[/size]
[size=45]The prospective government’s program quickly passed on the 2020 budget crisis, which remains stalled due to political conditions and low oil prices, calling for (the program) to review the tax policy. Adnan al-Razfi also reproduced the programs of Muhammad Allawi and before him Mahdi to expand investment, attract capital, and fight corruption.[/size]
[size=45]Increasing the number of ministries[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, the demonstrators promised to hold large elections within one year of his government, protect the protesters and hold the killers accountable, which was repeated by Muhammad Allawi in his program, which did not see the light.[/size]
[size=45]Remarkably in the program, it did not include any dates or time limits for the implementation of any program, nor did he mention talk about service projects such as water, electricity and hospitals, which are usually mentioned in the programs of previous governments. This may be explained by the lack or neglect of the program, that it is an approach intended for a government with specific goals and for a short period not exceeding one year, while Al-Zarfi has re-talked the program of his predecessors about restricting weapons and adopting a balanced foreign policy away from the axes.[/size]
[size=45]What is new in the Zarfi government, which faces protests from some Shiite forces, is the return of a ministry that had been abolished by the head of his bloc (Al-Abadi) 5 years ago, within what was known at that time as “reform packages”.[/size]
[size=45]No names have been disclosed to the number of ministerial candidates, nor have news reports been circulated, as was the case with Muhammad Allawi, of the sale of positions.[/size]
[size=45]In statements following the publication of the ministerial program, the official in charge of forming the government said that he would introduce in his government the Ministry of Women Affairs.[/size]


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