The Financial Sector Reform Follow-up Committee holds an expanded meeting and issues several recomme

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The Financial Sector Reform Follow-up Committee holds an expanded meeting and issues several recommendations

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Today, Tuesday, the Follow-up Committee on Financial Sector Reform held an expanded meeting to follow up projects on public financial systems, electronic payment, and curbing corruption. The committee issued several recommendations.
And the Ministry of Finance said in a statement received by (News): “The Minister of Finance, Taif Sami, chaired an expanded meeting of the committee (follow-up to reform the financial sector) concerned with following up projects of public financial systems, electronic payment, reducing corruption phenomena, and evaluating the performance of the ministry’s departments and formations.”
She added that “a committee composed of:
Finance Minister Taif Sami Muhammad / Chairman.
1- Maher Hussein Rashid / Head of the National Retirement Authority
2- Hassan Hammoud Hassani/ Head of the Customs Authority.
3- Muhammad Hamza Mustafa / General Manager of the Legal Department
4- Jamil Thajib Youssef / General Manager of the Accounting Department.
5- Ammar Subhi Khalaf / Federal Financial Supervision Bureau.
And she continued, “The most important recommendations taken by the committee and the themes that were discussed:
Firstly:-
Concerning paragraph (1) on developing and organizing procedures to reduce the phenomena of corruption in the ministry and its formations and presenting a timetable that supports ending the phenomena of corruption. dated 18/1/ 2023, including the formation of a committee for the purpose of implementing the National Strategy for Integrity and Anti-Corruption (2021-2024) on 1/18/2023 and published in our letters sent to the Federal Integrity Commission with issues (3781) dated 10/13/2022 and (42) 170) dated 16 /11/2022.
And through the meeting that was held in the Integrity Commission on 9/29/2022, the ministries were informed of the schedule for evaluating the extent of the response of the ministerial teams, and the results showed that this ministry and its team are among the very few entities that have completed all the requirements according to the table (attached).
Our uncles with the number (3374) dated 1/25/2022, which includes directing all our formations, were directed to form a sub-team for each department headed by an assistant general manager and an employee from the Control Department and related departments and the legal department. Work continues with these teams by the Central Committee to perpetuate the work of procedures Integrity Commission form and all changes and updates to it.
The training workshops were held in the presence of members of the Federal Integrity Commission, as well as the attendance of the specialized team for the workshops and courses held by the Federal Integrity Commission, the last of which was held on 3/12/2023, where the directive was to link the ministerial curriculum and the government program and the forms prepared in advance by the Integrity Commission.
secondly:
Concerning paragraph (2) regarding setting and organizing procedures for selecting middle administrative leaders (assistant general manager / head of department) who enjoy qualifications, competence and integrity, the tasks of the position of assistant general manager, his job description and the tasks assigned to him were determined according to the legal department letter No. (30878) in 23 6/2023, and the notification of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers No. (S. 15106/21/5/2) on 3/5/2010.

• Has the skill and ability to address problems within the business and find solutions to them.
  
• Contributes to the preparation of the department's reports in a scientific and cognitive manner and supports the digital transformation of building an e-government.
  
• Responds to the vision of senior management and works to support and achieve it.
  
• To have a bachelor's degree or higher.
  
• Knowledge of the department's mission objectives.
  
• Familiarity with laws, instructions and controls.
  
• He has administrative leadership qualifications.
  
• Involve him in the middle management session.
  

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Third:
Concerning paragraph (3) regarding expediting the submission of draft laws, regulations, and instructions related to the Ministry of Finance and its formations to keep abreast of developments, address legislative deficiencies, and reduce corruption in the tax, customs, insurance, banking, and free zone sectors.
1- We refer to the letter of the Legal Department No. (12781) on 21/5/2023 addressed to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers / Legal Department, which includes sending a draft amendment to the draft law of the Ministry of Finance.
2- We refer to the letters issued and addressed to the State Council, which are as follows:
A- Our letter No. (23475) on 8/10/2017, sending a draft or amending the internal system of the Budget Department.
B- Our letter No. (41646) on 11/30/2021 sent a draft and amended the internal system of the Accounting Department.
C- Our letter No. (10872) on 3/14/2022, sending a draft and amending the bylaws of the Legal Department.
D- Our letter No. (18288) on 5/16/2023, sending a draft and amending the internal regulations of a department to the Iraqi Fund for External Development.
C- Our letter No. (1824) on 12/31/2020 according to which the draft amendment to the Iraqi Fund for Foreign Development Law No. (7 of 1974) as amended and the draft amendment to its system No. (34 of 1977) as amended, according to which its letter was re-written, were sent to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers / Legal Department No. 24642 ​​on 6/29/2022 due to the presence of notes from the State Council and other relevant departments regarding the draft law amending the Iraqi Fund Law above, while the draft internal regulations for the Iraqi Fund sent to the State Council have been completed by the State Council and are currently with The legal department in the Ministry of Finance for the purpose of publishing it in the Iraqi Gazette, in addition to proceeding with the procedures for amending Article (3) of the Iraqi Fund Law referred to above regarding fixing the capital of the Iraqi Fund, which is currently pending before the State Council for the purpose of discussion in order to complete its legislation.
H- Our letter No. (33526) on 10/5/2022, sending a draft draft of the internal regulations of Al-Rafidain and Al-Rasheed Banks, and its application to all government banks.
3- Work is underway to discuss a draft amendment to the law regulating insurance business, in coordination with the legal department in the ministry and the insurance office.
4- Updating the preparation of the draft amendment to the draft law of the General Authority for Free Zones for the year 1998.
5- An update of what was presented by the General Authority for Customs, which proposed amending Law No. 24 of 1984 on the General Authority for Customs.
6- The General Commission for Taxes has submitted a draft amendment to some articles of the Income Tax Law No. 113 of 1982, which is under discussion with the legal department in the ministry.
7- A committee was formed pursuant to Diwani Order 13 of 2022 to review the laws that regulate commercial work. This ministry was represented as a member in it. A draft economic reform law was prepared, as some of its clauses included amending some articles of the law, including the income tax law, the real estate tax law, and the customs law.
Fourthly
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Paragraph (4) on preparing a systematic plan with a time limit to address the delay in the procedures followed in preparing the final account for the years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022):

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1- The book of the Accounting Department No. (12718) on 7/26/2022, sent to the Federal Bureau of Financial Supervision, which includes the final accounts for the year 2016 and sent to the Federal Bureau of Financial Supervision
According to our letter No. (12718) on 5/21/2023.
2- We attach to you a copy of the accounting department’s book No. (9939) on 5/21/2023 sent to the Federal Office of Financial Supervision, which includes the final accounts for the year 2017.
3- Based on what was presented by us in the cabinet session regarding spending units by sending the final accounts for the year 2022.
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4- Regarding the unified treasury account, by approving the tabs for the account.

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5- Opening a current account for salaries.
6 - The Accounting Department was instructed to complete, take and audit the final accounts from 2018-2022 through working hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and this depends on all spending units in charge of sending the deficiencies they have in the aforementioned accounts.
Fifth:
Paragraph (5) on setting up a program to ensure proper implementation of the amended Financial Management Law No. (6) of 2019 and the Federal General Budget Law.
1- Our letter No. (1378) on (5/17/2023) containing the procedure regarding the issue of the unified treasury account, and our letters numbered 10048 and 10049 on 5/22/2023, a copy of which is attached herewith.
2- Implementing the IFMIS system in paragraph (5) of the above minutes.
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3- Implementation of the electronic payment project (POS), and the committee continues its work according to the directives of the Prime Minister in the letter of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers No. 2275 dated 19/5/2023.

Preparing instructions to facilitate the implementation of the amended Federal Financial Management Law No. (6) of 2019, and preparing a study of the draft law of the second amendment to the Federal Financial Management Law (6) of 2019, which completed its work and was submitted to the Supreme Committee of the State Council, which objected to the instructions for being in violation of the provisions of the Financial Management Law .

5- Automating the work of the General Tax Authority.

6- Automation of work in the General Authority for Customs.

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7- Implementation of a package of measures to support the retirees segment by the National Retirement Authority.
8- Powers to write off debts and assets according to
The provisions of Clause Ten of Article 46 of the Federal Financial Management Law No. 6 of 2019.
Sixthly
Paragraph (6) regarding the resolution of administrative investigations and the completion of criminal cases in the Federal Integrity Commission, we would like to indicate the following:
1- This department issued circulars (17228) on 10/5/2023 to the departments, bodies, banks and companies affiliated with this ministry, including in paragraph (3) of it directives to expedite the completion of the administrative investigation according to the specified times in order to resolve the cases brought before the judiciary, as well as what is related to paragraph ( 7) From him regarding the Prime Minister's directive on submitting the inventory of the monthly and quarterly administrative investigations.
2- As for the administrative investigations, as far as the matter pertains to this department, below is its data, which shows the number of administrative investigations for the period from (1/1/2023) to (18/5/2023) and the number that has been completed, which are related to integrity investigations, the Financial Supervision Bureau, and the investigations received. from the other side.
The total number of investigations is 73
accomplished 67
Seventh:
Paragraph (7) for the purpose of regulating the procedures for controlling and protecting state real estate and preventing encroachment on it, the State Real Estate Department has initiated electronic transformation procedures for this department through contracting with the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, the General Company for Electronic Systems, and meetings were held and a joint report was signed between the two parties, which recommended a diagnostic visit Technical team from the technical team to view and determine the technical requirements of the State Real Estate Department in order to determine the type of system required so that the company can present its commercial technical offer. The State Real Estate Department, the Real Estate Property Inventory Department, inventory and register the state’s real estate in Baghdad and the rest of the provinces, and this matter is considered an initial nucleus for the automation of work in this department and all its branches.
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The finance committee is clearly moving along with the legal side of things. For one the UNIFIED TREASURY ACCOUNT has my attention. That is the account for the citizens hydro carbon monies, etc.. 

Addressing the Final Accounts for 2016 - 2022 is also to be extremely important and a necessity. The zeroing out of accounts would be something done prior to a new change in or to their accounting, imo. Automation of the tax authority and the General Authority for Customs. 

All of this will need to be interlinked electronically, just as the E-government will be and is likely already to be in place. Go time now, from the looks of it, imo! ~ MM