Today, Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani directed that an “extraordinary” session of the Council be held next Sunday, to discuss the federal budget schedules for the year 2024.This came during his presidency of the twentieth regular session of the Council of Ministers, during which the general situation in the country was discussed, and a number of vital files included within the government’s program were discussed, in addition to considering the topics on the agenda and taking the necessary decisions regarding them
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A statement from Al-Sudani’s office, a copy of which was received by NRT Arabic, stated that the Prime Minister directed that an extraordinary session of the Council be held next Sunday, May 19, to discuss the federal budget schedules for the year 2024.
He directed the formation of a committee headed by a representative of the Ministry of Planning and membership of representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Council of Advisors, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and the Federal Public Service Council, which will re-examine (the draft Public Service Institute Law) and submit its recommendations within one working month to the Council of Ministers to take the appropriate decision.
Based on the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, issued in February 2023, the Council of Ministers approved proceeding with the procedures for evacuating and opening the military zone (known as the Fifth Division) in the city of Kadhimiya, and converting its land into recreational, educational and cultural facilities, hotels, hospitals, health and medical centers, sports stadiums, and a defense center. The city and cities for visitors, according to an integrated architectural vision, and a special conference will be held on this topic, and specialized international companies will be approved to implement these vital and important projects, which will serve the city’s people and visitors. As part of implementing the government’s approach, which aims to restart lagging projects and address the problems and obstacles they face, the following was approved:
Firstly, changing the name of the project (Rehabilitation of the Martyr Othman Al-Obaidi Hall) to become (Rehabilitation of the Martyr Othman Al-Obaidi Hall - Method of Implementation: Secretariat), and increasing the total cost of the project.
Secondly: Increasing the total cost and the amount of reserve for the project (constructing the second corridor of the road leading to the Tarmiyah District, with a length of 15 km).
Third: Increasing the total cost of the project (equipping, installing, inspecting and operating the Al-Kahla secondary mobile in Al-Kahla district). Fourth: Creating a component (the remaining works for the project to expand the Tourism Department building in Holy Karbala/the Center).
In the field of the educational sector, and in order to speed up the process of printing textbooks and provide them at the required times, the Council of Ministers approved the recommendations of the Audit Committee regarding the printing of textbooks as follows:
1- Authorizing the Ministry of Education to assign (Al-Nahrain General Company) to complete the work of printing school books and notebooks, and excluding it from the contracting methods stipulated in the Instructions for Implementing Government Contracts (2 of 2014) before holding any tender, in order to exploit its full production capacity and rely exclusively on its machines. Provided that the aforementioned Ministry shall provide full support to the company from the Central Education Fund to Al-Nahrain General Company in providing the necessary amounts to purchase the raw materials involved in the printing work at the specified times, in a way that ensures the completion of contracts from the company, in light of the instructions and controls, and is spent from the Fund’s funds.
2- Referring the remainder and surplus capacity of the Al-Nahrain General Company, using the public tender method, to the public and private sector printers at an amount of (50%) for each, provided that a schedule worth two billion dinars is allowed for each company, without being restricted by the number of titles, and that the books reach the students within the timings. Determined before the start of the school year.
3- Obliging the Ministry of Education to adhere to the financial allocations included in the 2024 estimates tables upon contracting, and the Ministry of Finance must provide funding to ensure the Ministry of Education’s commitment to fulfilling its contractual obligations and delivering books to students within the specified times before the start of the academic year.
4- Continuation of implementation of Cabinet Resolution (23424 of 2023) so that the period between referral and signing of the contract will be (5) working days for textbook printing contracts, without the need to issue a warning to the printing press that is reluctant to sign the contracts.
The Council of Ministers approved the following:
1- The Ministry of Oil contracted with the Military Industrialization Authority to purchase machinery from its financial allocations, provided that the amount required for purchase, amounting to (76.150) billion dinars, would be divided among its extractive companies benefiting from the service of the Energy Police Directorate, in two stages:
-The first phase (43.65) billion dinars.
-The other stage (32.5) billion dinars, regarding the request for an M4 (Babylon) rifle weapon, will be considered later. The Ministry of Oil will gift these mechanisms to the Ministry of the Interior for the purposes of the tasks of the Energy Police Directorate, in accordance with the provisions of the instructions to facilitate the implementation of the General Budget Law, as an exception to the requirement that these goods be not purchased during the current year, and surplus to the need of the concerned department, according to the authority stipulated in the aforementioned instructions. above.
2. Excluding profitable, self-financed oil companies from work, from the decision of the Committee for the Restructuring of Public State-Owned Companies No. (1 of 2024), provided that the Ministry of Interior is responsible for the integrity of the procedures, the formation of opening committees, the analysis of bids, and the preparation of estimated costs for the subject of the research decision.
A vote was also taken to stop the exceptions granted to the Ministry of Electricity pursuant to Council of Ministers Resolution (24049 of 2024), and any text that conflicts with this decision shall not be implemented.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the financial data tables for the state’s account, based on the provisions of the amended Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019).
The Council also reviewed the annual report for the year 2023 of the Iraq Assets Recovery Fund, based on the provisions of Article (7) of the amended Iraq Assets Recovery Law (9 of 2012).
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