Text of Cabinet decisions at today's meeting

Today, Tuesday, the Council of Ministers voted to create job grades for contractors in all ministries, while issuing a number of decisions.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Media Office said, "The Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shia'a Al-Sudani, chaired the tenth regular session of the Council of Ministers, during which the overall general situation in the country was discussed, the issues on the agenda were discussed, and the most important decisions were taken in their regard."
According to the statement, the Cabinet discussed the file of contractors with a number of state institutions, and the importance of fairness to them and resolving their files that meet the instructions, which have not been dealt with for years, and voted to create job grades for contractors in all ministries, according to what was stated in the Food Security Law and to include them in the draft general budget law. for the fiscal year 2023".
The Council also approved, according to the statement, that the Ministry of Finance should create (11031) job degrees, to confirm the contracts of workers in self-financing companies belonging to the Ministry of Oil, according to the details shown in the Ministry of Finance’s letter No. (11720) dated December 19, 2022, based on the provisions of the two articles. (45 / Fifth / A / Chapter Eight / Budgets / Self-financed Departments), and (45 / Fifth / j) of the amended Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019).
The decision includes two cases:
- The first case: contracts that were contracted before October 2, 2019, and their number is (8338), including security guards according to the job grades required to be created.
- The other case: Contracts that were contracted based on the provisions of Article (11 / Fourth - A) of the Budget Law (1 of 2019), and the Cabinet Resolution (S 74 of 2019), and their number is (1678) according to the job grades required to be created.

And the statement continued that, in the same context, the Council of Ministers agreed to transfer contractors as daily wages in accordance with Cabinet Resolution (192 of 2021) into contracts, in accordance with Cabinet Resolutions (315 and 337 of 2019) for the formations belonging to the Ministry of Oil, according to the accompanying tables, linking the Ministry of Finance book No. By issue (11702), dated December 18, 2022, and securing their financial dues within the allocations of their planning budgets for the year 2022, based on the provisions of Article (45 / Fifth / A) of the amended Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019).

The Council of Ministers discussed the file of contractors with the Independent High Electoral Commission, which has been arguing for years without resolving it. 
According to the statement, the Council issued its approval for the Ministry of Finance to create (3193) job degrees in the Independent High Electoral Commission, to confirm operating contracts for contractors before October 2, 2019 on permanent staffing, and among the operational expenses of the Independent High Electoral Commission, and including the total amount difference (49766824200) Dinars, only forty-nine billion, seven hundred and sixty-six million, eight hundred and twenty-four thousand and two hundred dinars, to the budget of the Independent High Electoral Commission within the draft federal budget law for the fiscal year / 2023.

The Council of Ministers also voted for the Ministry of Finance to introduce job grades, to install all lecturers and administrators in the Ministry of Education.
And in implementation of the Prime Minister’s directives to increase the beneficiary segments of the ration card items, including employees whose salaries were affected by the rise in prices in the local market, the Cabinet approved, according to the statement, that the Ministry of Commerce withholds the ration card items from general managers and those with a higher degree, and for those whose salary exceeds Two million dinars, and the rest of the employees are included in the full card items.
The statement confirmed that, based on the directives of the Prime Minister, in fairness to thousands of Yazidi families in the Sinjar district of Nineveh Governorate, who have not owned their residential lands since 1975, due to the arbitrary policies of the former regime, and in order to develop a comprehensive and permanent solution to this issue, the Cabinet approved the following :

1- Ownership of residential lands and roles in the complexes (Khansur (Al-Tamim), Dokri (Hattin), Burk (Yarmouk) and Kohbel (Andalus) in the north district / Sinjar district), and Tal Qasab (Al-Baath) in the Kairouan district / Sinjar district), and the complexes (Tal Aziz (Al-Qahtaniya) ) and Siba Sheikhari (Al-Jazeera complex) and Karzark (Al-Adnaniya) Al-Qahtaniyah district / Al-Baaj district) to its occupants.

2- Ownership shall be at the value estimated by the estimation committees in accordance with the provisions of Articles (7 and 8) of the amended Law of Sale and Lease of State Funds (21 of 2013), and as an exception to the provisions of public auction based on the provisions of Article (40) of the aforementioned law.

3- The sale allowance will be amortized later in accordance with Cabinet Resolution (28 of 2020).

4- The Ministries of (Finance and Agriculture) shall take the necessary legal measures to change the different uses of the land on which the floor is built in the complexes (Zorava (Al-Orouba) and Dhola (Al-Qadisiyah) in the North district / Sinjar district, and Tal Banat (Al-Walid) in the Kairouan district / Sinjar district) and it is being owned after it to its occupants.

5- Forming a committee from Nineveh Governorate, National Security, Municipalities, Agriculture, and Finance to set controls and identify those covered.

In the context of government support for the 25th Gulf Championship in Basra, and with the aim of facilitating the smooth entry of sports fans into Iraq, and in a manner that guarantees the success of the tournament technically, organizationally and publicly, the Cabinet decided the following:

1- Approval of the approval of the entry stamp for holders of valid passports of the Arab Gulf states and Yemen for the period from (December 28, 2022) to (January 20, 2023), to allow the entry of fans through air, land and sea ports, to attend the 25th Gulf Cup Football Championship to fulfill entry visa requirements.

2- Postponing the collection of the amounts collected for granting entry visas, and they are waived in accordance with the powers of the Council of Ministers stipulated in Article (46) of the Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019 as amended), and item (First / 1) of Cabinet Resolution 28 of the year 2020.

3- Exempting the Ministries of Finance and Transport from all vehicles that enter exclusively with delegations and fans of the 25 Gulf Championship from customs and tax fees, insurance premiums, and guarantees from December 28, 2022, until January 20, 2023, and enter from the Safwan and Arar border crossings exclusively.

With the aim of optimal preparation of the Ministry of Electricity, and ensuring that the problems facing the electrical system do not recur annually during the summer, and the great burden they cause on citizens, the Cabinet approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Council of Energy (63 of 2022), regarding the emergency plan of the Ministry of Electricity for the summer of 2023, as follows, according to For the statement:

1- The Ministry of Oil initiated procedures for implementing a platform in an Iraqi port to receive imported liquefied gas, in coordination with the Ministry of Transport.

2- Reintroduction of Cabinet Resolution (17 of 2022), provided that the authority is exclusively for the Minister of Electricity and authorizing him to grant the powers granted to him according to the aforementioned decision to the general managers or whomever he deems appropriate.

3- Granting the Ministry of Electricity the authority to announce, study and contract investment budget projects with a contractual ceiling of (2000000000000) dinars, two trillion dinars, and the authority to announce and study up to the referral stage without entering into a contractual commitment to foreign loan projects within the draft federal budget law of the Republic of Iraq for the fiscal year / 2023, until Approval of the proposed allocations (taking into account the financial validity) amounting to (100,000,000) dollars, only one hundred million dollars.

4- The Ministry of Electricity contracted with manufacturers of generating units exclusively for the maintenance and rehabilitation of these units.

With the aim of addressing the bottlenecks occurring in the Ministry of Higher Education, and the problems they cause that directly affect the progress of education, the Cabinet approved the following:
1- Amending the percentages mentioned in Articles (8/a, 9/a/first and second, and 11/a) of the Higher Education Fund Instructions No. (122) for the year 1999 regarding the percentages of revenue disbursement at the Ministry and Universities Center to become (30%) to motivate workers, And (70%) to address bottlenecks in the educational process, provided that no contracts or daily wages are set.

2- The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research prepares draft instructions for amending the aforementioned instructions, and sends them to the State Council for verification, based on the amended Law of the State Council (65 of 1979), which includes amending percentages according to what was stated in Paragraph (1) above, provided that it applies The amendment is from the date of issuance of the Council of Ministers approval decision.

In the health file, the Cabinet recommended, according to the statement, that the Ministry of Health be excluded from the book of the Prime Minister’s Office (2218077) on November 13, 2022, in order to contract with doctors and retirees for voluntary work.

The Council also voted to cancel Cabinet Resolution (62 of 2020) regarding combating the Corona virus and preventing its spread, and to limit the exceptions granted to the Ministry of Health to the purchase of vaccines and life-saving medicines related to the Corona pandemic exclusively, in a manner that guarantees the implementation of government contract implementation instructions (2 of 2014) and controls. attached to it in concluding contracts in light of the relative stability of the epidemiological situation in Iraq, as proven in the book of the Federal Office of Financial Supervision No. (6/20/1/23159) dated October 20, 2022.

The Council of Ministers continued to discuss other issues listed on the schedule. Business, and in this regard issued the following decisions:

First / approval of amending paragraph (1) of Cabinet Resolution (343 of 2022) regarding the project to complete the financing of the catalyst cracking unit project (FCC) in the Basra refinery - the fourth loan, to become according to the following:

- Approval of the financing conditions established in the Ministry of Finance’s book No. (11518) dated December 11, 2022, and authorizing the Minister of Finance to sign a loan agreement financing the Basra Refinery project - cracking with the catalyst (FCC) stage four, mutual taxes, written notes and minutes of discussions Regarding the aforementioned loan, funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), based on the provisions of Article (5 / first) of the Emergency Support for Food Security and Development Law (2 of 2022)

second / approval of a draft law on the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the agreement establishing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development of 1990 (EBRD), which entered into force on March 28, 1991, and referred to the House of Representatives based on the provisions of Articles (61/item first, and 80/item second) of the Constitution.

Third: Approval of seconding the services of Dr. (Muhammad Turki Abbas Nassif Al-Obeidi), Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Justice, to work in the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York / the International Investigation Team on ISIS Crimes (UNITAD), for a period of three years that cannot be extended, based on To the provisions of Article (38) of the Civil Service Law (24 of 1960), as amended, and Resolution (1626 of 1982).

Fourth / Approval of the following:
1- Deleting the quantities of local wheat suitable for consumption as animal feed, which are in the stores of the General Company for Grain Trade, one of the formations of the Ministry of Commerce, and selling them at public auction within a working month.

2- Deleting and destroying quantities of local wheat that are not suitable for consumption as animal feed, which are in the stores of the General Company for Grain Trade, one of the formations of the Ministry of Commerce, based on the provisions of Article (46) of the Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019), and the decision of the Council of Ministers (28 of the year 2020), the formation of an investigative committee and the transfer of funds to the Ministry of Finance.

Fifth / Approving the recommendations of the accompanying investigative committee, linking the letter of the Prime Minister’s Office on December 27, 2022, and relieving Mr. Amir Firas Kazem, Director General of the Directorate of Travel and Border Affairs, from his post, based on Resolution (880 of 1988).

Sixth: Approving the amendment of Paragraph (2) of Cabinet Resolution (291 of 2022) to become as follows:

- The Ministry of Interior took the necessary measures to implement the requirements and expenses of the service and engineering effort team, which was formed according to Cabinet Resolution (286 of 2022), from the funds mentioned in Paragraph (1) of Resolution (291 of 2022), as it is mainly allocated within the Emergency Support for Food Security and Development Law. (2 of 2022), and based on Paragraph (19) of Schedule (B).