The Council of Ministers decided, on Tuesday, to cancel the amendment to the law on official holidays and to allocate funds to purchase materials for the supply card and to strengthen energy, while forming a legal committee to prepare the law “anti-hate”.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency that Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani presided over the 30th regular session, which witnessed the review of the attack on the destruction of the Qur’an and the Iraqi knowledge, and the consequences related to it.
The prime minister formed a committee of international law professors to study the preparation of a draft anti-hate law drafted by Iraq for submission to international organizations and forums; This is the danger of the destruction of Iraq in the past because of waves of terrorism, hatred and incitement.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also gave a report on the importance of Iraq in the fight against hate speech and the consequences of burning the Qur’an.
During the meeting, research was conducted on the developments of the general conditions of the country, and work on speeding up the implementation of the priorities of the government program, as well as discussing the topics listed on the agenda, and issuing decisions and recommendations related to them.
And the session witnessed the approval of the draft law on official holidays, and its referral to the Majlis-e-Napaw, based on the provisions of the Constitution, taking into account the following:
1. Revoking the decision of the former Cabinet of Ministers, taken in the second regular session, held on 14th March 2017, regarding the law on official holidays.
2. Repeal of Cabinet Resolution 11 of 2018 regarding the amendment of the official law on statutory holidays.
In relation to providing the terms of the Al-Mutwiniya card, and handing over the entitlements of the farmers, the Ministry of Finance has been appointed to allocate one trillion dinars to purchase the terms of the Al-Mutwiniya card, and to allocate the amount of 1,790,837,000,000 dinars, to pay the entitlements of the farmers, for the procurement of wheat and rice (rice), for the general season of 2023, according to Article 60 of the Federal Budget Law 13 of the year 2023.
In the energy file, the recommendation of the Council of Ministers of Energy (23057) for the year 2023 was approved, regarding the write-off of the tax deposits owed by the Ministry of Electricity to the South Korean Company (STX), as follows:
– Waiver of the right of the federal government regarding the appropriation of the tax trusts associated with the Ministry of Electricity, the implementation of the contract amounting to 40 million dollars for the benefit of the Ministry; Based on the provisions of the Federal Financial Management Law No. 6 of the year 2019, as amended, by securing the amount from the allocations for the maintenance of the electrical plants as part of the budget of the Ministry of Electricity for the year 2023 and allocated to the company “Siemens and General Electric” to be paid to the General Tax Authority.
The council also passed the recommendation of the energy ministerial council (23058) for the year 2023 regarding solar energy projects, which included the amendment of the second paragraph of the decision of the ministerial council 312 of the year 2021, which included the approval of the recommendation of the energy ministerial council 100 of the year 2021 regarding the report on renewable energy as follows:
– To assist the ministries and entities not related to the ministry and all local governments, to facilitate the land allocation procedures required in accordance with the acquisition law 12 of 1981, amended, for the implementation of renewable energy projects, so that the lease contract for that plant is with the Ministry of Electricity and not with the land owner, as stated in the book of the Ministry of Electricity, on the condition that the excess rent paid from the Ministry of Electricity to the land owner.
And the council also approved the authorization of the Minister of Finance, or his authorization, to sign the loan agreement, exchange letters, written memoranda, minutes of discussions, and financing conditions for the Basra Refinery Development Project – Fifth Loan, Al-Takseer Unit, with the support of the FCC, based on the provisions of the General Budget Law for the three fiscal years.
The session witnessed the research on a group of different topics on the agenda, and the following decisions were taken regarding them:
First/ Acknowledgment of the recommendation of the Al-Ministerial Council for Economic Affairs amounting to (230114) regarding the cancellation of the Iraq commitment agreement with the Koufax facility, regarding the remainder of the Corona pandemic vaccines, which stipulates the cancellation of the Iraq commitment agreement in return for the payment of fees for terminating the agreement with the manufacturers (GAVI), according to the request of the Ministry of Health, as the technical authority specialized in this matter, after reviewing the procedures of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard.
Second/Approving the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Iraq, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, on behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, regarding the exemption from entry requirements for holders of diplomatic and official travel documents (al-khedma wa khas) signed in the capital Baghdad on June 5, 2023, based on Cabinet Resolution 245 of 2022, subject to the amendment of the Memorandum of Understanding, subject of research, to include The formula referred to in the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers mentioned above, which states: (Citizens of both contracting parties are exempted from holding travel, diplomatic, service, and special valid permits from the requirement to obtain entry and exit visas or transit through the territory of the other contracting party, and stay in it for a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of their entry).
Thirdly/Approval of the Legislature Amendment to the Civil Defense Law 44 of 2013, approved by the Majlis-e-Dawla, and referred to the Majlis-e-Nawab, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Fourth/Amendment of Legislative Decree 767 of 1987, regarding the inclusion of foreign development project owners in Iraq with tax and tax exemptions, so that the decision includes Iraqi development project owners.
Ministers and Director General of the General Authority of Taxation, in accordance with what was mentioned above.
