Cabinet Spokesman: The government has received the 2021 budget amendments and studied them in two days

Time: 02/09/2021 18:31:21

{Baghdad: Al Furat News} The spokesman for the Council of Ministers and Minister of Culture, Hassan Nazim, announced on Tuesday that the government had received the amendments to the federal budget for 2021 from the Parliamentary Finance Committee.

Nazem said during the weekly press conference, “The government received the 2021 budget with amendments from the Parliamentary Finance Committee.”

 He pointed out, “the formation of a committee in the cabinet to study the budget amendments within two days.”

 “There is work to complete the second part of the white paper related to projects, and it is a pure Iraqi effort,” Nazem added.

He stated that “the cabinet voted to approve the government’s plan for the reform program, and there is discussion and joint work with the World Bank on the level of loans and consultations.”

Wafa Al-Fatlawi

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Baghdad takes 8 decisions, including the creation of the “High Reform Commission”

Politics

Decisions

Iraqi Council of Ministers

2021-02-09 18:54

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Shafaq News / On Tuesday, the Iraqi Council of Ministers held its regular session headed by Mustafa Al-Kazemi, during which a number of topics included in its agenda were discussed and discussed, and 8 new decisions were taken, including the creation of the “Supreme Committee for Reform.”

The Cabinet reviewed the developments of the Corona pandemic, at the local and international levels, the epidemiological curve indicators in Iraq, the virus statistics, and the precautionary and preventive measures that have been taken to preserve the health of citizens and emphasize the importance of continuing to adhere to them, and preserving the gains made in addressing the Corona pandemic, according to what It was stated in a statement by Al-Kazemi’s office, which was received by Shafaq News.

The Minister of Health and Environment gave a presentation on the developments of the work of the Committee to Promote Governmental Measures in the areas of prevention and control of health and awareness regarding limiting the spread of Coronavirus, and the Ministry of Health’s preparations to confront the increase in infections.

After the Council of Ministers discussed what was included in its agenda, it issued the following decisions:

 First: Approval of the inclusion of the third loan in the (FCC) draft of the Basra Refinery in the amount of (30,000,000) dollars, only three hundred million dollars, in the draft Federal Budget Law of the Republic of Iraq for the fiscal year 2021 based on the requirements for granting loans agreed with the (JICA) organization The Japanese Ministry of Finance and Planning can take the necessary measures to ensure that the project can proceed without delay, as it is one of the pioneering and important projects for converting heavy waste, which represents (40-50)% of crude oil, into high-value products such as: high-octane gasoline, light hydrogenated gas oil and fuel oil. With international environmental friendly specifications.

Second: Endorsing the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for Energy (70 for the year 2020) according to the following:

1- Amending the Ministerial Council for Energy Resolution (6 of 2020) to become as follows:

 Approval of the extension of contracts for the transportation of petroleum products to electrical stations concluded by the Ministry of Oil to private companies, according to the contract appendix, for a period of (60) days, starting from 1/1/2021, for the purpose of completing all the requirements necessary to start implementing the new contracts, according to what was mentioned in Book of the Ministry of Oil No. 27556 dated 11/23/2020. 

2- Signing of contracts above and managing them from the Oil Products Distribution Company / Ministry of Oil.

Third/:

１. The amount of wages incurred by charitable and free schools exclusively for renewing the foundation license shall be written off.

２. The Ministry of Education shall complete the instructions for the amount of wages to be collected for granting and renewing the foundation license, in coordination between it and the State Council, as soon as possible, with the addition of a text in it that exempts the founding bodies of charitable schools from registration fees and renewal of the license.

Fourth / The Council of Ministers decided the following:

a. Forming a committee called (the Supreme Committee for Reform), which includes:

１. Prime Minister / President

２. Minister of Finance / Vice President

３. Minister of Planning / Member

４. Minister of Oil / Member

５. Secretary General of the Council of Ministers / member

６. Central Bank Governor / Member

７. Executive Director of the Supreme Committee for Reform / member and rapporteur

８. Advisor to the Prime Minister for Strategic Affairs / Member

９. Advisor to the Prime Minister for Economic Affairs / Member

１０. Head of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers / member

１１. Two experts nominated by the Prime Minister / two members

１２. A representative of each of the two main international support organizations (International Contact Group, World Bank Group) / observers, without either of them having the right to vote.

B. The Supreme Committee for Reform undertakes the following tasks:

１. Supervising the implementation of the reform program as a whole, and the projects that it consists of, according to the plans and timetables approved by the Supreme Committee for Reform, including adding, deleting or amending new projects.

２. Ensure the availability of timely administrative and financing approvals during implementation, and take the necessary measures to overcome emerging obstacles.

３. Coordinate the work of the various agencies responsible for implementation and support, define the duties of each of them, and achieve integration between them.

４. Monitoring good performance and implementing accountability in accordance with the law.

５. Submit periodic reports on the progress of the reform program to the Council of Ministers.

C. 

１. Cabinet Resolution No. (12) of 2020 shall be repealed, and the (Supreme Committee for Reform) replaces the (Emergency Cell for Financial Reform) formed according to it.

２. Meetings of the Supreme Committee for Reform are convened at the invitation of the president or his deputy with the approval of the president, and in the presence of at least half of its members, including the president or his deputy, in the event of the president’s absence, and decisions are taken by the majority of those present, including the session chair.

３. ‌ Committee meetings are held quarterly at least.

４. The Supreme Committee for Reform has an executive director named by the Prime Minister, who is directly related to him and authorizes the necessary powers to implement the committee’s decisions and achieve its goals, and is tasked with following up the implementation of its decisions and conducting its day-to-day affairs under the supervision of its president.

５. The Supreme Committee for Reform may form work teams or sub-committees to carry out specific tasks, and grant them the necessary powers to achieve their goals and facilitate their work.

６. The higher authority may host whomever it deems necessary to attend its meetings, in order to achieve its tasks.

７. The Prime Minister authorizes cabinet powers for the purposes of the Supreme Committee for Reform.

Dr.. The formation of a cell called (Reform Management Cell) headed by the Executive Director of the Supreme Committee for Reform, to be based in the Prime Minister’s Office and undertake the following tasks:

１. The executive management of the reform program is completely under the supervision of the Supreme Committee for Reform.

２. Provide support to the officials of the reform program projects and the relevant executive teams, with the aim of improving performance and ensuring that the best implementation paths are chosen to achieve the set goals.

３. Enhancing communication between project officials and work teams on matters pertaining to each project, and coordinating interconnectedness between different projects within the reform program in order to enhance complementarity and synchronization in implementation.

４. Dealing with developments directly as a first level for reporting and solving problems.

５. Tracking the implementation of basic activities, professionally assessing performance, and submitting periodic reports to the Supreme Committee for Reform, including reporting on progress rates, obstacles, anticipated risks and proposed solutions.

６. Assist in identifying the procedures required of the project official in the event that implementation delays or deviates from the correct path.

７. Follow-up and accountability of the officials of the reform program projects in the event of delay in achieving the goals established within the approved timetable.

８. Any additional tasks assigned to the cell by the Supreme Committee for Reform.

E. The executive director of the Supreme Committee for Reform has the authority to contract with experts and executives without pay, and he may contract duly for a fee with the approval of the Supreme Committee for Reform.

And the. All government agencies are obligated to give the reform program priority, cooperate and coordinate with the Reform Administration Cell, and submit the required reports and data within the specified timeframes, including naming an official with a grade of no less than a general manager for each project, and allocating the work teams and human and material resources required to ensure the progress of the program Repair according to approved plans.

Fifth / １. Authorizing the Minister of Justice, Mr. (Salar Abd al-Sattar Muhammad Kurda), the power to sign the Arab Protocol to Prevent and Combat Maritime Piracy and Armed Robbery annexed and supplementary to the Arab Agreement to Combat Organized Crime National Borders, based on the provisions of Article (20 / Sixth) of the Constitution. 

２. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares the necessary authorization document in the name of the government of the Republic of Iraq for the Minister of Justice in accordance with the approved contexts, and submits it to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in order to obtain the signature of the Prime Minister.

Sixth / １. Authorizing the Minister of Justice, Mr. (Salar Abd al-Sattar Muhammad Kurda), the power to sign the Arab Protocol to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking, Especially Women and Children, supplement and supplement to the Arab Agreement to Combat Organized Crime Across National Borders, based on the provisions of Article (20 / Sixth) of the Constitution. 

２. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepares the necessary authorization document on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Iraq for the Minister of Justice in accordance with the approved contexts, and submits it to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in order to obtain the signature of the Prime Minister.

Seventh / The General Company for Grain Trade / one of the Ministry of Trade companies spent an amount of (100,000,000,000) dinars, only one hundred billion dinars of the cash available to it to pay farmers’ dues for the season (2019-2020), provided that this amount is deducted later when the amounts are received Farmers dues from the Ministry of Finance.

Eighth / Approval of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and Stanford University, regarding the restoration of original documents belonging to the period of extermination.

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Baghdad government spokesman for Shafaq News: Kurdistan’s share will be decided soon

Politics

Kurdistan

Baghdad

breaking

The budget

2021-02-09 10:00

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Shafaq News / The spokesman for the Iraqi Council of Ministers, Hassan Nazim, stated, on Tuesday, that the file of the Kurdistan Region’s share in the federal financial budget will be resolved in the coming days.

Nazem, who is also the Minister of Culture, was responding at a press conference in Baghdad to a question by the Shafak News Agency correspondent, that: That “the Parliamentary Finance Committee made a number of amendments and additions to the draft budget, at a time when disputes are still hindering the settlement of the Kurdistan Region’s share, so is the government’s position in this regard?”

Nazem said, in the conference that followed the weekly cabinet meeting, that “the Council of Ministers decided the issue of including the share of the Kurdistan region in the budget law in accordance with the agreement concluded with Baghdad, in addition to the region’s approval of the terms of the internal borrowing law.” 

In December, Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement on the financial budget stipulating that the region hand over 250 thousand barrels per day and half of the border crossings and other revenues to the federal government in exchange for a budget share of 12.6 percent.

The agreement was included in the draft budget, but Shiite political blocs in Parliament reject the agreement, and some demand that the entire oil management file in the region be handed over to the federal government, while others demand that the region hand over about 500 thousand barrels per day to Baghdad.

Nazem said that the coming days will witness the resolution of the region’s share file in the financial budget.

Regarding the amendments made by the Parliamentary Finance Committee to the draft budget, Nazim said, “The government received a draft amendment to the budget law from the Finance Committee.”

He added that “the cabinet assigned a committee to study the amendments,” noting that “this will be resolved within the next two days, and then it will be referred to the House of Representatives.” 

On December 22, the Iraqi government approved the 2021 budget of 164 trillion dinars (about 113.1 billion dollars), with a total deficit of 76 trillion dinars (about 32.4 billion dollars), and referred it to Parliament with the aim of voting on it.

However, the Parliamentary Finance Committee reduced the size of the budget to 130 trillion dinars (about 89.6 billion dollars), and the deficit to 25 trillion dinars (about 17.2 billion dollars).

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Deputy: The Kurdish blocs are heading towards dialogue to resolve the Kurdistan region in the 2021 budget

Policy- 02-09-2021 04:38 PM – Readings: 2,396

The deputy of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Muhammad Karim, confirmed, today, Tuesday, that the Kurdish political blocs are heading towards dialogue and political agreement to resolve the paragraph of the Kurdistan region within the draft federal budget law for 2021.

Karim said in a statement to “Tigris”, that “the Kurdistan paragraph was completed by the Finance Committee and will be presented to the political blocs to agree on it with the Kurdish blocs,” noting that “the Kurds are heading towards dialogue and agreement to resolve that paragraph within the budget.”

He added that “there are signs of agreement between Baghdad and Erbil to end all outstanding problems between the two parties,” noting that “the House of Representatives will be keen to hand over Kurdistan its entitlements from the budget in accordance with the law and the constitution.”

And the Parliamentary Finance Committee revealed, yesterday, Monday, the new mechanism to end the political debate on the paragraph related to the budget, which concerns financial dealings with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Committee member Siham Shenoun said in a statement to “Tigris”, that “the Finance Committee has completed the text relating to the paragraph of the Kurdistan region within the draft federal budget for 2021,” noting that “the text will be presented to the political blocs within the next two days for approval.”

And she added that “the political agreement will be the decisive factor in passing the paragraph of the Kurdistan region or not, and it cannot be passed without the agreement,” indicating that “this week will be the last to end the debate and pass the budget in the House of Representatives.”

https://www.dijlah.tv/index.php?page=article&id=277557

Kurdistan Union: The Finance Committee will present a new text regarding the region’s share in the budget

Editing date: 9/2/2021 9:59 • 53 times read

[Baghdad-Where]

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan confirmed that the Parliamentary Finance Committee in the House of Representatives intends to prepare a new text on the share of the Kurdistan region in the 2021 budget.

A member of the House of Representatives from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan revealed the details of the dialogue between the region’s delegation and the central government, stressing that the region’s delegation did not reach a dead end.

A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Arzo Mahmoud, said that “the region’s delegation’s dialogues with Baghdad have not reached a dead end, but rather that there is an exchange of views, indicating that the Kurdish delegation will return at any moment to Baghdad, for dialogue and agreement on the region’s share of the budget and employees’ salaries. ”

He indicated that “the Finance Committee is preparing a new text, which includes handing over the value of exporting 250 thousand barrels per day and non-oil resources to the federal government and other paragraphs.”

He explained that “the region’s delegation categorically refused to hand over any oil field or hand over all oil resources or the oil file to the federal government.”

http://www.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=106548

Oil continues to rise, recording $ 61 a barrel

Time: 02/09/2021 08:33:36 Read: 2,574 times

{Follow-up: Euphrates News} Oil futures rose 2 percent to their highest levels in more than a year, and Brent surpassed the level of $ 61 a barrel, supported by supply cuts between major producers and hopes for more economic stimulus in the United States.

Brent crude futures, the world benchmark, rose $ 1.22, or 2.1 percent, to settle at $ 61.18 a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $ 1.12, or 2 percent, to settle at $ 58.97 a barrel.

Both benchmarks hit their highest levels since January 2020.

Brent and US crude have jumped more than 60 percent since the beginning of November, supported by optimism about the distribution of anti-virus vaccines, as well as production cuts by members of the OPEC + group.

Investors are watching a $ 1.9 trillion aid package to mitigate the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, which is expected to be approved this month.

Oil prices were also supported by dwindling hopes that Iranian oil exports would soon return to the market after US President Joe Biden said that the United States would not lift sanctions on Iran just to bring it back to the negotiating table.

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A positive atmosphere between Baghdad and the region to settle Kurdistan’s share in the budget … and keep it away from political auctions

02/02/2021 12:10

The number of readings 18

Section : Iraq

Baghdad / Al-Masala: The regional government continues dialogues and meets with many governmental and parliamentary figures to reach an acceptable formula that is consistent with the constitution and public interests to deduct the region’s share of the general budget.

The reporter of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ahmed Al-Saffar, said that there is great optimism that a breakthrough will soon occur with regard to the region’s share in the budget, adding that the atmosphere for dialogue this year was positive and the regional government had a clear seriousness to reach a final agreement.

The region’s delegation received 13 expanded questions from the Parliamentary Finance Committee about oil production, company costs, the number of employees, exports and imports. All answers were brought, documented with evidence and full data detail.

Most of the deputies, in addition to the government delegation, were committed to the government text in the budget, given that there are understandings between the two government delegations in Baghdad and the region, and this text was built on the basis of rights and obligations to refer to the constitution and the Financial Management Law.

The head of the State of Law coalition, Nuri al-Maliki, said during his meeting with the region’s delegation that the discussions with the federal government could not be resolved without the adoption of a national law that guarantees the equitable distribution of natural wealth to all components of the Iraqi people.

The spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Qubad Talabani, says that the discussions focused on the proportion of the region’s exports, oil and non-oil revenues, and the number of employees and retirees, who receive social grants, adding that the meeting was positive and there is an understanding of the economic situation in the region.

The President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, says that the Kurdistan region is always working to establish the best relations with the federal government and solve all problems comprehensively and on the basis of the constitution, stressing that the region fulfilled this purpose, with all its obligations in order to reach an agreement that serves the interest of all Iraqi citizens.

Observers believe that the federal government should not include the issue of salaries in the political conflict, making it a pressure card against the Kurdistan region and resorting to starvation policy towards those who receive salaries.

The regional government spent 8 salaries for employees and workers in the public sector during 2020, part of which was paid by the regional government and the other part secured by the federal government.

According to the statistics of the Media and Information Department in the region, the total sum of the financial amounts distributed for salaries amounted to six trillion, and 500 billion Iraqi dinars, adding that the region has secured 63.8% of the total, while the federal government has insured 36.1% of the total sum of those salaries.

Salim Hamza, a deputy from the Kurdistan Islamic Group and a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, said that passing the budget without the Kurds is a very dangerous gesture, and a clear message from the Shiites and Sunnis that Iraq is still in the stage of sectarianism and abhorrent sectarianism.

Obelisk

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