Shafaq News/ On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, chaired the Economic Ministerial Council, held at the council’s headquarters with the participation of several ministers and government officials.

According to a statement by the council, discussions focused on the progress of engineering work at the Grand Faw Port project, including facilitating the import of certain engineering materials to enhance the properties of reinforced concrete used in the submerged tunnel’s structural components. The council decided to “exempt these materials from import licensing requirements” and requested the Ministry of Environment's input on the potential environmental impact of certain chemicals used in civil engineering.

The session also hosted the Director General of Information Technology and Payments at the Central Bank of Iraq to evaluate the implementation of electronic payment systems in both the public and private sectors. The council emphasized the need to expand digital payment mechanisms across all financial transactions and economic activities, in line with a Cabinet decision on the matter, the statement added.

The council reviewed a strategy on Iraq’s parallel economy, detailing its structure, causes, and economic impact. It proposed measures for integration into the formal sector and highlighted related challenges. The council recommended the Cabinet adopt the strategy.

The minister of agriculture also provided a briefing on the environmental and health status of livestock in Iraq, detailing the epidemiological situation of foot-and-mouth disease in affected areas, noting that the outbreak had been largely contained in Fudhailiyah and Nahrawan.