Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Chairs 22nd Ministerial Council for Economy
On Monday, July 22, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Council for Economy Mr. Fuad Hussein, chaired the 22nd regular Session of the Ministerial Council for Economy, The Meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, the Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Trade, Industry, Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Chairman of the Securities Commission, and Oil Ministry Undersecretary, Prime Minister’s advisors for Economic and Legal Affairs. The Council discussed the topics on its agenda and took the appropriate decisions regarding them.
The Council hosted Major General and Head of Iraq’s Border Ports Authority, Head of the General Authority of Customs, Director General of the Administrative Department at the Integrity Commission, and Director General of the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, to discuss the examining materials used in investment projects and emphasizing the return of consignments that fail inspection for public safety. The Council listened to a briefing presented by the officials concerned with this issue, where the Head of the General Authority of Customs indicated the proximity of the implementation of the electronic system in customs work to speed up the process of taking the goods according to legal methods with ease and transparency.
The Council decided to include construction materials imported by investment companies in pre-examination procedures by international examining companies contracted with the Ministry of Planning and the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, with the concerned authorities taking measures to ensure scrutiny, drawing random samples and examining them. The Council also decided to assign the border ports and general customs authorities, in coordination with the Central organization for Standardization and Quality Control, to prepare a mechanism that guarantees the re-sending of materials that do not conform to specifications and prevents their diversion into local markets.
Within the framework of developing a new strategy to improve the environment investment in the oil industries sector, the Council hosted AL-Barham Co. for refining and distribution of petroleum products, to seek the opinion of investors and reputable companies on the mechanism of developing and encouraging the work of private companies in this important sector, and listen to their experience in work and to overcome difficulties, if any. The Council decided to support the steps taken by the Ministry of Oil in this field.
Additionally, the Council decided to recommend the Council of Ministers to postpone the collection of customs duties on the food basket (ration card) imported by the Ministry of Commerce, in support of food security for their citizen’s.
