Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein Chairs 16th Meeting of Economic Ministerial Council for 2025

Baghdad, May 26, 2025 — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Fuad Hussein chaired the 16th meeting of the Economic Ministerial Council held at the Council’s headquarters. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Industry, Labor and Social Affairs, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Vice Chairman of the National Investment Commission, and the Prime Minister’s advisors for economic and legal affairs.

The Council reviewed the items on its agenda and made the necessary decisions accordingly.

The council hosted the Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Industry, the Director-General of Investments, the Director-General of the Legal Department, and the Director-General of the General Company for Food Products. They discussed the Economic Ministerial Council’s decision regarding the lands of the Iraqi-Jordanian Dujaila Company, and reviewed a proposal from a Serbian company to revive and develop the project in partnership with the General Company for Food Products. The aim is to restore this vital project which covers strategic crops, horticulture, seasonal crops, food industries, and livestock breeding of various kinds.

The Council decided to proceed with the liquidation of the Jordanian company’s share, making the project fully owned by the Ministry of Industry.

Additionally, at the request of the Ministry of Planning, the Council directed the Border Ports Authority, Customs, and other relevant bodies to take all necessary measures to re-export quantities of iron that do not meet specifications and fail technical inspection, to prevent them from entering local markets.

The Council also instructed all government institutions to strictly comply with the provisions of the Foreign Companies Branches Regulation No. (2) of 2017 and its amendments. It emphasized that departments contracting with Arab and foreign companies must fully implement the regulation, especially regarding establishing offices or branches of these companies within Iraq.

Regarding local agricultural project products, including chicken and table eggs, the Council decided to temporarily allow the transfer of these products between governorates, especially from projects still completing the legal procedures for work permits. The Ministry of Agriculture is to provide a detailed inventory of these projects.

Concerning the selling price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the Council approved adopting the Dubai price bulletin, setting the selling price at no less than the global price stated in the bulletin minus 30%, for a period of three months. 

Finally, following an urgent proposal by the Minister of Agriculture, the Council decided to halt the import of wheat watermelon, eggplant, and zucchini until the end of the local season, as well as to ban tomato imports for one month, in support of local production.