Shafaq News / The Council of Ministers Holds the Sixth Regular Session Chaired by Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani and Issues Important Decisions.

Prime Minister, Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, chaired the sixth regular session of the Council of Ministers. During the session, the Council of Ministers discussed the country's general situation, the most prominent issues, and the items on the agenda and issued several decisions.

They discussed the repercussions of the US Dollar exchange rate increase in the market and its adverse effects on the country. To mitigate its impact on citizens and various economic sectors, the Council of Ministers approved the decision of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Iraq to set the Iraqi Dinar (IQD) to US Dollar (USD) exchange rate at the following:

- 1300 IQD per 1 USD, the purchase price from the Ministry of Finance,

- 1310 IQD per 1 USD, the sale price to the banks,

- 1320 IQD per 1 USD, the sale price by banks and financial institutions to the final beneficiary.

In solidarity with the victims of the earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria yesterday, the Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Immigration and Displaced to purchase relief, food, and medical supplies of three billion dinars from the emergency security budget, exempt from the instructions for implementing government contracts (2 of 2014) and these supplies will be delivered by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society as humanitarian aid and supplies on behalf of the Iraqi government for those affected by the earthquake in the Republic of Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Council of Ministers confirmed the implementation of Resolution No. (270 of 2022), which authorizes the Ministry of Trade to pay the dues of farmers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (2015-2016) at a subsidized price, according to the Emergency Support for Food Security and Development Law.

Following the Council of Ministers Resolution (474 of 2021) and to determine the price of gas sold by the Basra Gas Company in the economic feasibility study and the commercial model of the Nibras Petrochemicals Project, the Council of Ministers decided the following:

The gas price used to operate the project shall be $1.5 per million British thermal units (Btu). The Ministry of Finance will pay the difference in the price sold by the Basra Gas Company.

The General Company for Iraqi Ports transfers ownership of the land to the General Company for Petrochemical Industries to allocate it to the Nibras Petrochemicals Project based on the Law of Sale and Lease of State Assets and amortization of the sale price according to the Federal Financial Management Law.

The Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of the Ministerial Energy Council, which suggests the final signing and activation of contracts for the licensing round for border fields (the fifth licensing round) since a very long time has passed since their referral.

The Council of Ministers discussed other topics on the agenda and issued the following decisions:

First, transfer ownership of Al-Tadamon Schools without compensation to the concerned municipality, per the law of ownership of estates and buildings, provided that the Islamic Tadamon Society does not have a suitable property or building for the intended purpose of acquisition.

Authorizing the Minister of Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works to allocate lands for institutions of public use, following Resolution (996 of 1976), for lands owned by the municipality.

Waiving the rental fees for the previous occupancy period following the amended Federal Financial Management Law and Council of Ministers Resolution (28 of 2020).

Second, Approval of the bill of the second amendment to the law of scientific and advisory offices in the institutions of higher education and scientific research No. (7 of 1997), which was audited by the State Council / and referred to the Council of Representatives, taking into account the notes of the legal department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

Third: Approval of allocating funds to each of the following governorates (Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, and Salah al-Din) to cover the expenses of visitors during religious pilgrimage events.

The Ministry of Finance will allocate 50 billion dinars to the governorates above in the federal budget law for the fiscal year 2023/2023.