The Council of Ministers, headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, issued today, Tuesday, during the forty-fifth regular session, a number of important decisions that fall within the government’s efforts to improve services and strengthen the economy and infrastructure in Iraq.
The Prime Minister’s media office said in a statement received by “Mawazine News”, that “Al-Sudani chaired the session, where the latest developments in the country were discussed and vital files that concern the priorities of the government program were discussed, in addition to considering the topics on the agenda and taking the necessary decisions regarding them.”
Decisions on the population census
As part of the council’s follow-up to the preparations for conducting the population census scheduled for November 20, the council approved a number of measures, the most important of which are:
1. Emphasizing commitment to Federal Court Decision No. (73/Federal/2010) regarding the general population census.
2. Conducting the census in the disputed areas by a joint team from the three nationalities (Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen) with the addition of a Christian individual in areas with a Christian majority.
3. Cooperation between the Statistics Authority and the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Authority with the Federal Ministry of Interior to compare the data of the ministries with the census results.
4. Allocating the general census results to the Federal Planning Council and the Ministry of Planning in the Kurdistan Region.
5. Commitment to organizing statistical tables on the numbers of deportees, arrivals and displaced persons.
6. Sending a technical team from the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Authority to the census operations room.
7. Immediately start training enumerators in preparation for the census.
Amending the Triennial Budget Law
The Council also approved a proposal to amend Article (12/Second/C) of the Triennial Budget Law No. (13 of 2023) to include several points related to compensating the Kurdistan Regional Government for the costs of oil production and transportation, as the costs of production and transportation will be calculated by an international technical advisory body.
Developing the work of civil defense
In the framework of developing the work of civil defense, the Council approved allocating an amount of 25 billion dinars to the Ministry of Interior to establish 100 civil defense detachments in Baghdad and the governorates, and approved a direct contract with the Chinese company SANY to purchase 18 fire engines.
Supporting the educational and health sectors
In the field of supporting education, the Council of Ministers approved increasing the acceptance rate of top students from institute graduates from 10% to 20% for admission to universities. It also approved the establishment of institutes for higher health professions in several governorates.
Supporting the national industry
The Council approved providing a sovereign guarantee to establish a glass manufacturing plant in cooperation with lending banks, and also approved the inclusion of plastic granules in the customs fees decision.
Administrative reform and appointing officials
Within the framework of administrative reform, the Council approved the appointment of four general managers based on performance evaluation criteria. The Council also chose Islam Hassan Al-Saadi as the sixth member of the Board of Trustees of the Iraqi Media Network.
Completing stalled projects
in the field of infrastructure, the Council approved the establishment of a component for equipping medical devices and supplies within the emergency hospital project in Rania and increasing the cost of projects to demolish irregular buildings and build alternative schools.
Other decisions
The Council approved the draft law amending the fifth amendment to the Civil Aviation Law, amending the price of gas oil for the National Paralympic Committee’s wheels, and concluding lease contracts with the Independent High Electoral Commission.
These decisions are an important step towards enhancing public services and supporting the economy and infrastructure, and confirm the government’s commitment to achieving sustainable development in the country.
