Cabinet Secretariat: Stopping the sale of government properties to its employees is inaccurate

The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers issued a clarification on Wednesday, denying what was circulated on some social media sites regarding stopping the sale of government properties to its employees.

The Secretariat said in a statement, seen by "Al-Eqtisad News", that "in the context of the government's commitment to applying the highest standards of transparency and protecting public funds, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers confirms that what was circulated on some social media sites regarding stopping the sale of government properties to its employees is inaccurate."

It added, "The Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister did not issue any decision to stop the sale of real estate belonging to all government agencies to their members, and that the procedures related to the sale of real estate are proceeding in accordance with applicable laws and relevant Cabinet decisions, in a manner that preserves the rights of employees and enables them to benefit from these assets in accordance with legal controls."

It continued, "The directive issued by the Prime Minister, which was included in the letter of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, numbered (29830) dated June 27, 2024, relates to a plot of land belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture only, and the purpose of the directive was to ensure the mechanism for determining the value of the land to ensure the preservation of public funds."

She explained that "in the framework of keenness to implement the principle of financial justice, a committee was formed to study the exemption of employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Federal Financial Supervision Bureau/Karbala Holy Supervision Directorate from the bidding condition, as the committee completed its work and put in place treatments that guarantee the protection of public money, without harming employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the procedures for transferring ownership to employees will be completed in accordance with the law and recommendations approved by the Council of Ministers in its Resolution No. (24673 of 2024)."

She indicated that "the government, headed by the Prime Minister, is working continuously to protect public money and guarantee the rights of employees in accordance with the applicable legislation, and that the process of re-evaluating the prices of government real estate comes within the framework of seeking to achieve justice and the public interest, and ensuring the optimal use of government assets in a way that benefits everyone."

The statement stressed "the Prime Minister's interest in state employees, within the framework of his firm commitment to improving working conditions and enhancing the rights of employees and the government's continued efforts to ensure the fair application of laws and providing a stimulating and safe work environment for all, in line with the axes of the government program."