Thursday PM Iraq Economy News Highlights 6-9-22

Political Criticism Of The Government's Performance In The Files Of Services And The Economy, And The Failure To Address The Rise In Prices

POLITICIAN  LAST UPDATE 06/09/2022 | 9:45 AM  The Information/Baghdad...Political parties criticized the government's performance and its failure to solve the problems of the lack of services, as well as the deteriorating economic situation of the citizen and the failure to address the high prices witnessed in the local market.

The former representative of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Walid Al-Sahlani, told Al-Maalouma that "Parliament can approve the budget and take advantage of the financial abundance that has been achieved in order to rescue the file of services that most previous governments suffered from, as they were unable to provide them in the required form for the people."

On the other hand, the representative of the State of Law coalition, Muhammad Al-Ziyadi, told Al-Maalouma, that “there are real problems related to the economic and service situation that the central and southern regions suffer from, as they should be paid attention to by the state, as well as the legislation of laws that are in direct contact with life. The citizen.”

On the other hand, the representative of the coordination framework, Firas Turki, confirmed during his speech to "Al-Maalouma", that "the government is obligated to find alternatives to support the people and reduce the negative effects due to the rise in prices, especially those related to the dollar, and the ensuing repercussions that caused an increase in most prices in local markets." finished 25

https://almaalomah.me/2022/06/09/602452/

Al-Saffar: Food Security Is Awaiting Appeal And Its Provisions Are In Violation Of The Law

ECONOMIC  LAST UPDATE 06/09/2022 | 11:08 AM  The Information/Baghdad..The decision of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ahmed Al-Saffar, on Sunday, suggested returning the emergency food security support law to square one in the event of an appeal to the Federal Supreme Court, indicating that the law does not contain any legislative support.

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Al-Saffar said in a televised interview, which was followed by "The Information", that "the details of the law on emergency support for food security are literally extracted from the paragraphs of the general budget law, which is against the law and did not provide any new details."

He added, "Economic development means setting a plan for development, not putting all your money to buy basic and consumer goods and sitting penniless, as happened in food security."

Al-Saffar indicated that “the appeal will be before the Federal Court, and it may be turned around because there is no document that allows Parliament to legislate such a law that carries with it a financial aspect,” noting that “the Federal allowed the government to disburse money to buy medicines, foodstuffs and development projects in accordance with Law 1/12, which means There is no need to legislate such a law.” finished/25 d https://almaalomah.me/2022/06/09/602488/

Al-Maliki's Coalition: The Food Security Law Is Only A Dead Letter

Shafaq News/ The State of Law coalition bloc led by Nuri al-Maliki considered, on Thursday, the emergency food security support law illegal and cannot be applied despite the vote of the Iraqi Parliament unless the next federal government is formed.

The coalition said in a statement today, "The Law of Emergency Support for Food Security, despite its inclusion by our deputies of useful paragraphs for the popular classes and the various social strata of those whose contracts have been voided, those with higher degrees, farmers and others, but it collides with the decision of the Federal Court as being unconstitutional and a decision was issued against him that has become obligatory." .

He also stated that "our position was that the government would resort to other alternatives that preserve the constitutional and legal contexts, but the insistence of the Presidency of the Parliament to proceed with it and its failure to adhere to the decision of the Federal Court makes it a regressive step and a violation of the principle of separation of powers and respect for the judicial institution."

The parliamentary bloc added that "according to the decision of the Federal Court, the law is no more than a dead letter but to be implemented when the new government is formed."

She also indicated that "the situation was limited between allowing others to proceed with it in its first form, which is marred by suspicions of corruption and waste of public money, and allocating funds from the financial in an explicit violation because the current government is a daily caretaker government, and between making amendments that fulfill the demands of the Iraqi people and its various segments and meet the need." To the requirements of food, electricity and real services provided that the judicial authority is respected and that this law does not conflict with the decision of the Federal Court.

The statement continued, "The realization of the demands of the segments could have been achieved by relying on the financial management and exchange law according to the 1/12 system, and that it is not permissible to insist on violating the Federal Court, because this challenges the judiciary and thus challenges the entire political process."   LINK

Suspicion After Information About “Manipulation” Of The Provisions Of The Food Security Law.. What Are The Most Prominent Changes That Have Occurred?

2022-06-09  Yes Iraq: Baghdad  Since yesterday, deputies confirm the existence of manipulation and changes in the food security law voted on, by adding paragraphs that do not exist and have not been announced so far, as the existing version and circulating in the hands of the media and popular circles, differs from what is in the parliament’s drawers, and it is not known whether the financial allocations Will it remain the same or will it change as well, especially with the addition of new drainage doors.

 Representative, Sajjad Salem, said in a blog post after voting on the Food Security Law: “We voted on the version of the Food Security Law that the Finance Committee voted on on 6/6, and we did not vote on today’s version in total, which was submitted after the agreement of the political blocs and the transfer of some allocations for political considerations. “.

 Mustafa Jabr Sanad attributed this hadith, after he came out in a press conference angry about the manipulation of the Food Security Law and a change in its paragraphs represented in canceling the confirmation of contracts.

 It is not yet known the extent of the changes in the Food Security Law, but among the clear changes and additions to the law, is the contracting article with holders of bachelor’s and diploma certificates, in the governorates, and the amount of one thousand contractors per governorate and a monthly salary of 300 thousand dinars for a period of 3 years, which means that 15 A thousand contractors with salaries amounting to 4.5 billion per month, or 54 billion dinars annually, that is, for a period of 3 years, their total money will be 162 billion dinars.

 Among the most prominent changing materials, the tables contained only 18 fields, while they became 21 fields in the new version, and the additions were the addition of 400 billion dinars to the “security and military services distributed by a decision of the Council of Ministers,” in addition to excluding Najaf, Karbala and Samarra from Allocations for the development of the regions amounting to 500 billion dinars, and the development of the three cities with individual allocations alone amounting to 500 billion dinars alone.

As for the other new addition, it is the return of their nullified contracts from the security services, especially the Popular Mobilization Forces, with the allocation of 300 billion dinars.   LINK

An Economist, The Emergency Support Balances Will Be Transferred To The Ministries' Accounts With Budget Legislation

POLITICIAN  LAST UPDATE 06/09/2022 | 9:45 AM  Information/Baghdad...  The economic expert, Dr. Safwan Qusay, explained that the balances of the Emergency Food Security Support Law will be transferred to the ministries’ accounts if the general budget for 2022 is approved, whereby its final accounts are presented with the budget accounts.

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. Qusay told Al-Maalouma, “The process of opening an account in favor of the Emergency Security Support Law for Food Security and distributing its amounts to the federal ministries will be an account that will be extinguished and settled with the accounts of the 2022 budget if It has been approved.”

He added that "these allocations that will be monitored will reduce the allocations of the federal ministries for the year 2022, as once the budget is approved, the balance of this account will be transferred to the accounts of the concerned ministry."

And he indicated that "the issue of the accounts is settled in advance, and it is not permissible to spend twice for the same section or entity, after allocating funds for it within the law of emergency support for food security." finished 25    https://almaalomah.me/2022/06/09/602453/

Fears Of A Scarcity Of Drinking Water Due To The Disruption Of Negotiations With Neighboring Countries

Posted On2022-06-09 By Sotaliraq   Baghdad/ Firas Adnan  Iraq’s negotiations with the Turkish and Iranian sides regarding the water file are still stalled, with promises to hold meetings to discuss sharing the damage, but these promises have not been fulfilled until the present time. This comes while experts warn of a dangerous drought looming in the current storage with the possibility of a scarcity of drinking water During the next season in some provinces.

Aoun Diab, a consultant to the Ministry of Water Resources, said that "the Tigris River, after the operation of the Turkish Ilisu Dam, changed its system and started to depend on the water that is released through it."

Diab added, "Before that, the Tigris depended on the natural flow of the river," noting that "this change has a positive aspect represented in facing flood risks, but at the same time it has a negative aspect related to the lack of flows."

He explained, "My personal opinion is that Iraq without the Ilisu Dam, its situation would be better," and he talked about "the possibility of storing water in the Mosul Dam and in the Tharthar Depression, with any quantities we receive from Turkey."

Diab noted, "This is the will of the Turkish side, and we seek to negotiate with them in order to share the damage."

He stressed, "A delegation from the Turkish side, headed by the representative of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was scheduled to visit Iraq after the Eid al-Fitr holiday."

Diab expressed his regret, that "that visit did not take place until the present time," adding that "Iraq wants to talk with Turkish officials."

And the government advisor added, "The Ministry of Water Resources approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out the reasons for not achieving this visit."

As for the dialogues with the Iranian side regarding water, Diab said, "When Iranian Vice President Ali Seljuq came to Baghdad, we discussed with him and informed him of the water damage that Iraq is being exposed to."

He added, "It was agreed that Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, concerned with water affairs, would visit Iraq for the purpose of continuing discussions to reach an agreement to share the damage caused by water scarcity."

For his part, water expert, Adel Al-Mukhtar, stated that "the water storage has reached 20 billion cubic meters at the present time."

Al-Mukhtar added, "Iraq, according to official statements, spends 48 billion cubic meters annually," explaining that "the agricultural plan was reduced last year to 2.5 million acres."

And he added, "The plan for this year is expected to reduce only 1.5 dunams." He stated, "Iraq has been suffering from drought for three years, and the question is what if the next winter is also dry?"

Al-Mukhtar pointed out that “the answer is, according to the current data, that it is difficult to provide drinking water in Diyala and Zaheeb rivers, with the possibility of stopping the agricultural plan.”

And he finds, "The water situation is very dangerous," stressing that "Iraq wastes large amounts of water, and one of the forms of waste is the use of old irrigation systems." He believed that "the expenditure of 48 billion cubic meters is an exaggeration."

Al-Mukhtar called for “a reconsideration of agricultural policy because it is the one that consumes more water than other fields,” and advised that “negotiations between the relevant ministries should be on the quantities of water available and not on the basis of the cultivated lands.”

And he stated, "Iraq is facing a challenge related to preserving storage, and we are building a plan whose quantities will range from 10 to 15 billion cubic meters, not 48 billion cubic meters."

Al-Mukhtar spoke about “the need to establish a higher council for agriculture and water, because we are facing a clear difference between the policies of the ministries concerned with the water and agriculture file.”

He stated, "This council includes a group of experts who are in charge of setting the state's water and agricultural policies, because we have entered the stage of danger."

Al-Mukhtar concluded, “Resorting to reduce water releases during the current time due to the absence of an agricultural season shows the seriousness of the situation and is evidence that our reserves are few and require preservation and are not released in the usual manner except during the agricultural seasons.”

It is noteworthy that Iraq suffers from a severe water crisis as a result of insufficient rainfall during the last winter season, in addition to the water policies of neighboring countries towards Iraq.

The Iraqi government intends to host a meeting in Baghdad, attended by representatives of a number of countries in the region, to discuss various environmental issues, including sharing the water damage that caused the drying up of many waterways in Iraq, especially in Diyala Governorate. LINK

Parliament Is Waving To Pass A Law Criminalizing Trade Exchange With Turkey And Iran Over Water

Shafaq News/ Hakim al-Zamili, the first deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, threatened on Thursday to resort to a law criminalizing the trade exchange process with Turkey and Iran because of cutting Iraq's water quota.

Al-Zamili said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Water Resources building and attended by Shafak News Agency correspondent, that "if Turkey and Iran continue to cut off water from Iraq, we will be forced in Parliament to issue a law criminalizing trade and economic exchange with them as a response to their actions."

He stressed that Iran had completely cut off the waters from Iraq, and four rivers from them flow into Iraq, and their course has been changed into Iran.

He also pointed out that the volume of Iraq's imports from Turkey amounted to 20 billion dollars, and with Iran it amounted to 16 billion dollars, while Iraq has no exports to these two countries.

Al-Zamili stated that "there is no deterrence and there is no commitment to agreements, and it is expected that the two countries will completely cut off water from Iraq due to the lack of rain."

He pointed out that "we may have to legislate a law criminalizing trade exchange with these countries and their companies, just as we have legislated a law criminalizing dealing with Israel," noting that "Turkey refused to negotiate with Iraq on this file, and Iran did not negotiate and ignore Iraq."

He continued by saying that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry has shortcomings in this file, as it has not submitted any protest note to Turkey or international organizations, and its protest is sometimes timid and it does not yet have an ambassador in Turkey officially and it has shortcomings, pointing out that "we will have a position on The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is under the dome of Parliament.   LINK