Today, Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani chaired the eighth regular session of the Council of Ministers, during which the general situation in the country was discussed, and a number of service, economic and social files were discussed, in addition to deliberating on the topics on the agenda and taking the necessary decisions regarding them.
The Council of Ministers continued to issue decisions that help complete projects that have been lagging for years, and address the problems that were facing the progress of their implementation, as it issued the following:
First/Approval of the following:
1. Increase the reserve amount for the project (construction of a 100-bed hospital in Safwan district) by (6.811%) to become (16.81%) instead of (9.999%).
2. Increasing the total cost of the project to become (52,953,041,924 dinars) only, instead of (49,942,711,000 dinars) only, and by (6.027%) of the total cost of the project.
3. The spare order for the airstrip designated for critically ill cases was not included in the project cost increase. Because his approval was not included among the recommendations of the committee’s minutes.
4. Basra Governorate is responsible for the accuracy and validity of the data submitted to the Ministry of Planning and the appropriateness of prices.
5. Basra Governorate should be careful in preparing bills of quantities for upcoming projects.
secondly:
1. Increasing the amount of reserve (8.5348%) to become (14.819%) instead of (6.2847%), the spare order executed for the component (implementation of the conveyor line, Administration and Economy Street, Sinalco Street, Olympic Street, and Najibiya), included in the main project (implementation of the conveyor line, Administration Street). Economy, Sinalco Street, Olympic Street and Najibiya).
2. Increasing the total cost of the main project by (7,038,716,553 dinars) only, to become (99,863,095,093 dinars) only, instead of (92,824,378,540 dinars) only, which represents a percentage of (8.9559%) on the adjusted cost, by (27.0647%) ), on the approved cost of the main project.
3. The violation was imposed on Basra Governorate by implementing spare orders amounting to (6.2847%), while the amount of reserve available after the referral was (5.202%), which is outside the governorate’s jurisdiction, and the Ministry of Planning was not informed of the cost adjustment at the time.
4. Emphasis on Basra Governorate to exercise accuracy when preparing bills of quantities for projects and to take into account future expansions.
Third:
1. Increase the reserve amount for the project (construction of the Tal Afar University Presidency Building) by (55.480%) to become (65.5%) after rounding, instead of (10%).
2. Increasing the total cost of the main project, the details of which are stated in Paragraph (1) mentioned above, by (1,441,768,496 dinars) only, so that the total cost becomes (4,441,768,496 dinars) only, instead of (3 billion dinars), an increase of (48,058). %).
3. Imposing a violation on Nineveh Governorate, which included issuing spare orders without a financial ceiling allocated according to the referral contract, in an amount exceeding what was stated by the Ministry of Planning.
Fourthly:
1. Increasing the reserve percentage for the contract (rehabilitation and development of the Kirkuk Olympic Stadium / turnkey) included within the project (rehabilitation and development of the Kirkuk Olympic Stadium / turnkey), by (24.62%) after approximating the implementation of the two spare orders, the first (5,114,965,550) dinars, and the second ( 954,644,000 dinars, becoming (49.62%) instead of (25%).
2. Increasing the total cost of the project (rehabilitation and development of Kirkuk Olympic Stadium/turnkey) to become (38,856,846,460) dinars, instead of (33,500,000,000) dinars, with an increase rate of (15.99%) on the adjusted total cost and (159.04%) on The approved cost.
3. A violation was issued against the Ministry of Youth and Sports, for entering into contractual obligations on the project at a higher price than the total cost, without obtaining the necessary approvals.
Fifth:
1. Increasing the total cost of the (Kut Water – Wasit) project by (33,045,423,530) dinars, to become (157,016,423,530) dinars, instead of (123,971,000,000) dinars, with an increase rate of (26.66%) after rounding off the adjusted total cost, At a rate of (96.27%) on the total approved cost.
2. Signing a violation against the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works, for referring the supplementary works to the project (at Nakil’s expense) in excess of the total cost, without approaching the Ministry of Planning to obtain the proper approvals, and executing one of the spare orders within the authority of the contracting party at the time by calculating the reserve percentage (10 %) according to the instructions and powers to implement investment project expenditures for the year 2012, according to the year of referral, as the percentage of executed spare orders amounted to (7.62%) of the referral cost, despite the existence of the excess and not addressing it.
Sixthly:
1. The total cost of the project to establish a water project with a capacity of 1,200 cubic meters per hour, with a conveyor line to feed the areas of the Levantine suburbs in the city of Nasiriyah, increased by (5,998,249,000 dinars) only, with an increase rate of (85.7%) as a result of the introduction of a processing component and the extension of conveyor lines to deliver water to The tourist city of Ur and Nasiriyah Civil Airport are among its components.
2. Amending the name of the project referred to in Paragraph (1) above to become (Establishing a water project with a capacity of 1,200 cubic meters per hour, with two transmission lines to feed the areas of Soub al-Shamiya in the city of Nasiriyah, the tourist city of Ur, and the civil airport of Nasiriyah, in a manner consistent with the work carried out.
In continuation of the government approach to economic and administrative reform, the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for the Economy No. (241089 Q) was approved regarding unifying procedures for importing vehicles at all border crossings, taking into account the comments of the Ministerial Council for the Economy on some paragraphs of the Diwani Order Committee (23558 of 2023). And the memorandum of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. The decision will be reviewed within 6 months of its implementation.
In the same context, the Council of Ministers approved the recommendations of the final report of the Customs Order Committee (23559 of 2023) on customs clearance, taking into account what was stated in the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for the Economy No. (24004 Q) dated January 14, 2024, and the observations of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. Ministers, provided that the entities mentioned in the recommendation establish the mechanisms within 30 working days, and present them to the Ministerial Council for the Economy for approval and deeming them binding.
With the aim of continuing with electronic payment procedures, the Council of Ministers agreed to issue the electronic payment services system for funds for the year 2024, based on the provisions of the Constitution, taking into account the observations of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and re-reviewing the wordings of some texts from a committee composed of the Legal Department in The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Central Bank, Information Technology, other relevant authorities, and the Board of Advisors.
The Council also agreed to exclude laboratory devices, equipment, and supplies related to the import of gold and precious metals from the contracting methods stipulated in the Instructions for Implementing Government Contracts (2 of 2014), in order for the Ministry of Planning to contract in a direct invitation method to purchase the aforementioned equipment from reputable agencies for processing, at a cost. (1526585000) dinars, per airport; To create units for examining and marking jewelry and alloys at airports, according to what was stated in the letter of the Ministry of Planning dated February 18, 2024, in two stages, the first for Baghdad, Najaf, Basra, and Kirkuk airports, and the second for airports; Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Mosul, and Dhi Qar.
The Council of Ministers also considered other topics of the session and issued the following decisions:
1. Amending Cabinet Resolution (23224 of 2023), to add the required financial allocations to the budget of the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission for the fiscal years (2024 – 2025) based on the provisions of the Federal General Budget Law (13 of 2023).
2. Approval of the draft arbitration law, which was reviewed by the State Council, and referring it to the House of Representatives, based on the provisions of the Constitution, taking into account the observations of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
3. Approval of the exception of employees of the Federal Financial Supervision Bureau from the provisions of the amended Law on the Sale and Rent of State Funds (21 of 2013); The plot of land was purchased with the funds of employees of the aforementioned office, taking into consideration the observations of the Legal Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
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Media Office of the Prime Minister
20- February- 2024
