Parliamentary Finance: Reaching a final agreement on the Food Security Law

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[size=52]Parliamentary Finance: Reaching a final agreement on the Food Security Law[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad/ Firas Adnan[/size]
[size=45]Yesterday, Wednesday, the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives revealed that a final political agreement had been obtained on the emergency food security bill, stressing that the objectors had approved its paragraphs after making the necessary amendments. New allocations to the water sector aimed at constructing dams and preserving water resources.[/size]
[size=45]Committee member MP Mishaan al-Jubouri said, "The Finance Committee hosted the Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid, yesterday, and we discussed with him the ministry's need for allocations."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jubouri added, "The draft law on food security and emergency support did not have funds for the water sector, but the committee is destined to make sufficient allocations to start dams and ration water by transferring it from open channels to pipes in order to reduce the level of consumption."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the deputies of the coordination framework who were previously opposed to the law attended the meeting of the Finance Committee, and they are Adnan Faihan, Ahmed Al-Asadi, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani and Hussein Arab, as well as the head of the Azm Muthanna Al-Samarrai bloc."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jubouri revealed that “political consensus has been reached on the law decisively, after making amendments that responded to all parties,” and he talked about “a lot of money that will go to the development of the governorates, especially to the governorates of Najaf, Karbala, Muthanna and Diwaniyah, and the rest was distributed according to the number of the population.”[/size]
[size=45]He continues, "What remains for us is to obtain information related to dams and water security in order to be included in the law that can be voted on today, Thursday or early next week."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jubouri pointed out that "there are no differences over the law that meets the needs of trade in food security, the ration card and the import of wheat, with the hope that we will have enough stocks for six months at least."[/size]
[size=45]He noted, "Allocating funds to the liberated governorates that were affected by the terrorist organization ISIS and military operations, and compensation approved by the judicial authorities will be released."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jubouri stressed, "The Finance Committee could have presented the law to a vote, and the Save a Homeland Alliance could pass it without attending the coordination framework, but we were keen for consensus to happen."[/size]
[size=45]And he believed, "Everyone feels that the government has a real need for these funds to meet the needs of citizens, especially those related to energy, food security and water supply."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jubouri went on to say that “the law will be passed without disputes or problems, and there is no pressure card, after everyone put forward his point of view and it was included in the project, and no one wants to be in the street disabled to secure food or pay electricity dues.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Representative of the Coordination Framework, Muhammad Al-Baldawi, stated that “the adoption of the budget law has become a difficult matter, because the government that handles daily tasks cannot pass this bill to the House of Representatives.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Baldawi added, "Hopes are heading towards the legislation of the Food Security, Emergency Support and Development Law, which will be employed to serve citizens after making amendments to ensure that the money does not go into the pockets of the corrupt."[/size]
[size=45]He noted that "the project, according to what was agreed upon, will include filling the needs of citizens, starting with foodstuffs, and increasing the quantities supplied under the ration card, as well as with regard to the social protection network and people with special needs."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Baldawi concluded, “The law will be temporary until the budget law is approved, and its paragraphs did not include borrowing, whether from abroad or internally, because the current oil revenues and the surplus achieved can be used to feed the exchange.”[/size]
[size=45]The government had submitted a draft law entitled Emergency Support for Food Security and Development as an alternative to the current year's budget to meet the new spending needs. In return, the House of Representatives completed the first and second readings of the project and made amendments that included reducing the total allocated amounts.[/size]
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