We fear the “destruction of the political process” by revealing the names of those involved in the theft of the century

MP for the Al-Sadiqoun parliamentary bloc, Ali Turki Al-Jamali, said Friday, August 2, 2024, that there is fear of “ruining” the political process by revealing the names of those involved in the theft of tax deposits known as the “theft of the century.”

Al-Jamali confirmed, in a televised statement, “There is a fear of ruining the political process by revealing the names of those involved in the ‘theft of the century’ before announcing the results of the investigation.”

He pointed out that “the investigations revealed that the theft of the century amounted to 3.5 billion dollars, and was carried out over 8 months, at a time when this money was supposed to be added to the budget.”

He explained that “the dispute over shares is what caused the theft of the century to be revealed, not any competent authority,” noting that “this file will not be closed and the real figures of the theft will not be revealed,” according to him.

Al-Jamali pointed out that “Nour Zuhair (the main accused in the case) was a front for the theft of the century and may have disclosed the names of those participating in the theft during the investigation,” indicating that “the theft of the century took place through forged authorizations for Nour Zuhair and other people affiliated with him.”

He added, “Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s government was a system for stealing public money,” explaining that “the director of the General Tax Authority was appointed by order of Al-Kadhimi and not by the Minister of Finance,” according to his words.

Al-Jamali confirmed that “big heads were behind the planning and implementation of the theft of the century,” indicating that “the mastermind behind the theft of the century is (Haitham Al-Jubouri), who was working as an advisor to Al-Kazemi,” he said.

Thursday, the Integrity Commission revealed new details about the theft of tax deposits known as the “theft of the century,” as it announced “the recovery of Qasim Muhammad Muhammad from the Kurdistan Region, who is the managing director of the (Hunchback Whale) Company, after he had fled to Turkey. He is one of the most prominent defendants in the tax deposit theft case.”

Regarding the final amount of the theft of tax deposits, the head of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, explained in a press conference held yesterday that “if we add up these amounts, it becomes more than the announced amount because the investigating judge who formed the committee reached a specific amount, but it is not accurate.”

It is noteworthy that in October 2022, the “theft of the century” case was revealed for the first time, in which former senior officials and businessmen were involved, and it sparked severe anger in Iraq, which witnessed widespread protests in recent years demanding an end to corruption.

The “theft of the century” is the disappearance of 3.7 trillion dinars (about two and a half billion dollars) from tax trust funds, and it was revealed by several concerned parties about two months before the end of the term of the previous government headed by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.

In mid-July, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani considered the “theft of the century” a black spot in the history of the Iraqi state, and indicated that it was carried out with official cover, and revealed that half of its money was smuggled out of the country.

Burathanews.com

Iraqi Dinar / US Dollar auction results for today 08-02-2024

Results of the foreign currency selling window for Friday 08/02/2024

Advertisement No. (5173)

The amount:

Total amounts of transfers abroad (transfers, credits)
270,439,187

Total cash withdrawals
14,050,000

Total total sales
284,489,187

Note that: The selling price of documentary credits and international settlements for electronic cards is ( 1310 ) dinars per dollar.

The selling price for transfer amounts abroad is ( 1310 ) dinars per dollar.
The cash selling price is ( 1305 ) dinars per dollar.

cbi.iq/currency_auction

No “ministerial reshuffle” in Al-Sudani’s government, and the Coordination Framework justifies it

A leader in the Coordination Framework, which brings together the Shiite political forces, revealed today, Thursday, the reason why Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani did not carry out a “ministerial amendment” throughout the past period.

Leader Hassan Fadham told Shafak News Agency, “Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani wanted to make some ministerial changes, but the general political situation and his keenness to maintain stability and harmony on the one hand, and the failure to resolve the parliament presidency file, prevented this change from being made.”

Faddam explained that “the Coordination Framework supports Al-Sudani in any proposal or step that would strengthen the service role provided by the government, and the framework still supports the Prime Minister’s measures in managing the state, providing services, fighting corruption, and achieving security and political stability in the country, but some political circumstances prevented some of Al-Sudani’s steps.”

On Monday, March 11, the Parliamentary Strategic Planning Committee revealed that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was close to making a ministerial reshuffle, and explained the reason for that.

The deputy head of the committee, Mohammed Al-Baldawi, told Shafak News Agency, “There are ministries that have performed their duties well throughout the past period, and had clear procedures. At the same time, there are ministries that have not completed their programs and have not provided their full energy and capabilities. Therefore, there are ministries that need to reconsider their management and strategy.”

Al-Baldawi, a representative of the Coordination Framework, added, “According to the evaluation, there are ministries that can be rated as ‘good’, and there are ministries that are rated as ‘average’, and some ministries are rated as ‘less than acceptable’, and for this reason there is an expected ministerial change within the government reform that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is emphasizing.”

It is noteworthy that since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani assumed the presidency of the government, he has made many administrative changes in a number of ministries and state institutions. In December 2022, al-Sudani decided to set a period of six months to evaluate the government’s work in light of its approved government program. The evaluation includes ministers, undersecretaries, governors, advisors, and general managers according to specific timings. He gave the general managers three months to then evaluate their performance.

Shafaq.com

For the next five years, the Americans in Ain al-Assad are contracting with Iraqis to provide them with food supplies

A security source in Anbar Governorate revealed today, Wednesday, that the US forces renewed the contract to supply its forces stationed at Ain al-Assad base with food supplies for the next five years.

The source said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency that “the American forces stationed at the Ain al-Assad air base in the al-Baghdadi district, west of Anbar, concluded a contract with Iraqi contractors to supply their forces with large quantities of food, especially meat and fish, noting that the contract is for a period of five years.”

He added, “The American forces had previously concluded a contract with Iraqi contractors to supply their forces with food supplies, but the contract expired a few days ago, which prompted the American forces to renew the contract again for another 5 years, indicating that those forces will remain in their positions inside the Ain al-Assad base until the end of 2029.”

He stated that “American soldiers from time to time roam the markets of Al-Baghdadi district to buy their needs of various goods, but the precautionary measures taken stressed the need to be cautious and careful of the movements of American forces and to remain inside their military barracks.”

He explained that “the Iraqi contractors who will supply the American forces with food supplies have undergone vetting processes with the assistance of security leaders.”

Almaalomah.me

Parliamentary Security calls for expelling the ambassador and severing relations with Kuwait

Member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, MP Yasser Iskandar Watout, called today, Wednesday, for the expulsion of the Kuwaiti ambassador from Iraq and the severing of relations with his country.

“Kuwait is still determined to make its territory a launching pad for aggression against Iraq,” Watout told Al-Maalouma Agency, calling on the government to expel the Kuwaiti ambassador immediately and sever relations with Kuwait, in order to allow the drone that targeted the Popular Mobilization Forces in Jurf al-Nasr to be launched from Ali al-Salem Air Base.

“Kuwait still harbors hostility and hatred towards Iraq and allows its territory to be used as a launching pad for attacking Iraq and violating its national sovereignty,” Watout told Al-Maalouma Agency.

He called on the government to take a “firm stand against Kuwait because it allowed a drone to be launched from its territory and target the Popular Mobilization Forces in Jurf al-Nasr.”

The Islamic Resistance, the Hezbollah Brigades, held the American occupation forces fully responsible for the crime of shedding the blood of (our sons), warning the Kuwaiti authorities against continuing to make their lands a launching pad for the American criminal approach towards Iraq.

Almaalomah.me

State of Law: The American presence in Iraq will not end except by force

Member of the State of Law Coalition, Sheikh Haider Al-Lami, confirmed today, Wednesday, that the American military presence in Iraq will not end with an agreement and they must be removed by force.

Al-Lami said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “The recent attack on the Popular Mobilization Forces in Jurf al-Nasr represents a clear violation of sovereignty,” noting that “America is accustomed to lying and cannot be a friend of Iraq.”

He added that “the file of neutralizing foreign forces from Iraqi territory has become of utmost importance in light of Washington’s continued security breaches, the latest of which was the bombing of the government’s Popular Mobilization Forces,” calling on “national security and political forces to take all legal and diplomatic measures to hold an emergency session to discuss this aggression.”

He explained that “the time has come to break the silence and expel the forces of this occupation from Iraq,” noting that “the bad military presence of America in Iraq will not end with an agreement and they must be expelled by the power and will of the people through their resistance.”

Yesterday, American planes bombed Popular Mobilization targets in Jurf al-Nasr in Babylon, killing 4 fighters.

Almaalomah.me

Experimental pumping of oil into the pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan port

A source in the Northern Oil Company, owned by the federal government, revealed on Wednesday that the repair process of the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline has been completed by 100%, indicating that a “trial” pumping of crude oil has been carried out into it, but the pumping operations have stopped based on government instructions related to resuming exports from Kirkuk fields to Ceyhan port.

The source explained to Shafaq News Agency that the North Oil Company completed the repair of the pipeline after it was sabotaged by ISIS. The work included repairing the damaged parts between Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Nineveh, all the way to the Iraqi-Turkish border. He indicated that the company worked to replace the damaged parts and completed the repairs completely, so that the pipeline would be ready to transport any quantity specified by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil.

He added that the current production of the North Oil Company ranges between 300 and 375 thousand barrels per day, 10 thousand barrels are allocated for export to Jordan, and about 100 thousand barrels for local refining, in addition to equipping some private refineries in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah with quantities specified by the Ministry of Oil to produce gasoline and petroleum derivatives.

The source confirmed that the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline is now ready to transport oil from Kirkuk fields to Ceyhan port, as the North Oil Company conducted tests to pump oil in two stages, explaining that the initial pumping from Kirkuk fields to Baiji refineries was carried out successfully, while the second stage began from the pumping and collection station in Baiji, passing through the Ain Jahsh and Shura areas, arriving at the final pumping station in Dohuk, where oil was pumped and the various parts of the pipeline were monitored, which proved its readiness at 100%.

For his part, the Iraqi oil expert and specialist, Ali Khalil, told Shafaq News Agency that the experimental pumping process is an important step to assess the safety of the pipeline and the readiness of the pumping stations to transport oil from Kirkuk to Ceyhan, stressing that the stations were repeatedly sabotaged by ISIS, which makes completing the repairs a matter of utmost importance.

Khalil added that reaching an agreement to export oil between Baghdad and Ankara will contribute to settling technical issues related to the pipeline, and that Kirkuk is capable of managing about 300 thousand barrels per day, with the possibility of increasing this number according to the production of the North Oil Company, but the resumption of exports depends on negotiations between Baghdad and Ankara.

Shafaq.com

The Ministry of Oil announces an increase in gas storage and production in Iraq

The Ministry of Oil announced that the actual storage of liquefied gas has risen to more than (133) thousand tons and that the production of liquefied gas has risen to more than (7) thousand tons.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber, said in a statement received by {Euphrates News} that “the daily production rate of liquefied gas received from the producing companies has reached (7370) thousand tons,” noting that “the production of the liquid is witnessing an increase thanks to the activation of gas investment projects witnessed by the oil sector, stressing that the gas sector enjoys the support of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Oil.”

For his part, the Director General of the Gas Filling and Services Company, Anmar Ali Hussein, said that his company has succeeded in achieving high fluidity in meeting the needs of citizens and service sectors in the capital, Baghdad, and the governorates, from providing liquefied gas cylinders or equipping complexes and service sectors, in addition to equipping vehicles, indicating that the daily consumption rate has reached (5700) thousand tons, and that there is a surplus in the quantities of gas produced nationally and between the rate and volume of consumption.”

Hussein added that the next stage is witnessing many projects that support the growth and development of the liquefied gas sector, according to the government program.

Alforatnews.iq

Victory: The session to select the Speaker of Parliament will be held in the coming few days

Member of the Victory Coalition, Aqil Al-Radini, confirmed today, Tuesday, that the session to select the Speaker of Parliament will be held in the coming few days.

Al-Radini said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “The past few days have witnessed intensive meetings between the Sunni parties and the Coordination Framework,” noting that “during all the meetings, no agreement was reached on any person to pass to the position of Parliament Speaker.”

Al-Radini added that “the proposals and alternatives that were put forward during the meetings of the political forces did not culminate in a final collective decision,” indicating that “the proposal to open the door for nominations for new figures is dependent on changing the internal regulations of the House of Representatives.”

He explained that “the Coordination Framework seeks to bring the Sunni forces to a joint agreement among themselves on one of the candidates in order to resolve the issue of the parliament presidency, especially since the framework does not want to breach the political balance in the country,” noting that “the session to choose a replacement for Halbousi will be held in the coming few days.”

It is noteworthy that the differences between the Sunni forces prevented the nomination of a candidate for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives due to the efforts of the Progress Alliance to win him, despite its knowledge that the compass is pointing to another candidate.

Almaalomah.me

The Council of Ministers takes a number of decisions, most notably the signing of a tripartite agreement on electricity

The Council of Ministers held its thirty-first regular session today, Tuesday, in which the general conditions in the country were discussed, and the basic files included in the government program were discussed, in addition to considering the topics included on the agenda, and taking the necessary decisions regarding them.

According to the issued decisions, it was approved to sell wheat locally to officially licensed government and private mills, provided that the selling price is equivalent to the price of importing wheat of similar specifications, arriving at the port of Umm Qasr.

In the same context, and within the national product protection program, the Council of Ministers approved the imposition of a customs tariff on imported flour, gradually and progressively, with the increase in local flour production, reaching a rate of (25%) as a first stage, as follows:

1- (10%) from the date (September 1, 2024 until December 31, 2024), and (25%) from the date (January 1, 2025 until June 30, 2025), and the tariff will be reviewed after (6) months from the date of issuance of the decision.

2. Using local wheat to produce zero flour, and selling local wheat to mills at a price of (450 thousand dinars) per ton.

3. The Ministry of Trade and its contracting companies have contracted with Iraqi commercial mills to supply those covered by social assistance with zero flour under new contracts.

4. Limiting the provision of zero flour from local mills to the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Trade, Justice, Labor and Social Affairs.

5. Imposing a customs duty on imported cut flour (1 kg) at a rate of (30%) starting from the date (October 1, 2024).

In implementation of the government program, and in an effort to improve the health services provided to citizens, and within the government’s plan to contract with international companies to manage and operate modern hospitals, it was approved to grant an additional period of (60) days to submit letters of guarantee to the companies contracted to manage and operate the hospitals (Al-Nasiriyah Educational Hospital with a capacity of 492 beds), (Al-Imam Al-Mujtaba Hospital in Karbala Governorate), and (Al-Sayyab Hospital in Basra), as an exception to the instructions for implementing government contracts No. 2 of 2014.

The recommendations of the minutes of meeting (37) of the Diwani Order Committee (45 of 2018) were also approved regarding the development of the necessary means, mechanisms and solutions to complete public hospital projects, as well as the approval of the draft law amending the fifth law of the Cancer Council Law in Iraq No. (63) of 1985, which was reviewed by the State Council, and referred to the House of Representatives, based on the provisions of the Constitution.

In the electricity sector, the Ministerial Energy Council Recommendation (24067 T) for the year 2024 was approved as follows:

1. Signing a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Electricity, Siemens Energy, and the Chinese company CSCES, to implement the Baiji Gas Power Plant (2) rehabilitation project, and approving the Chinese company (CSCES) as the main contractor, and Siemens as the subcontractor, provided that it is included as an essential part of the contract signed between the Ministry of Electricity and the implementing Chinese company according to the following obligations:

A. The Ministry of Electricity is responsible for obtaining government approvals.

b. The Chinese company (CSCES) is the main contractor, and is responsible for financing the project and supplying and installing the auxiliary equipment (BOP), related to the main equipment included (fuel and fire-fighting system, treatment and compressors with pipes and valves in addition to civil works).

A. Siemens is a subcontractor, responsible for supplying the main equipment (gas turbine, generator, main transformers, substation, and control centers), and is supervising the implementation of the project to ensure the workflow is carried out in accordance with Siemens’ global specifications.

2. Consider the possibility of transferring the aforementioned project within the Chinese Export Agency within the investment account.

The Council approved the inclusion of a framework project in the Ministry of Planning’s investment budget for 2024 under the name (Preparing the conditions for the return of the displaced in the liberated governorates and rebuilding the destroyed villages) at an initial cost of (100) billion dinars, to later determine the shares for each governorate and assign the governorates or the Reconstruction Fund to implement the notification of the government’s initiation of this file, in partnership with the governorates and the affected community on the one hand and the international community on the other hand; to encourage participation, provided that the annual financial allocations are provided in the 2025 budget schedule and the Federal General Budget Law for subsequent years, and that no financial commitment is entered into before the financial allocation is available, based on the provisions of the Federal Financial Management Law (6 of 2019) as amended.

The Council of Ministers continued to consider the file of stalled projects and study their causes with the aim of completing their implementation, where it approved the following:

1. Creating a component (complementary works to establish the Social Protection Network Department in Karbala), within the project (studies, designs, land acquisition, and establishment of the Social Protection Department in Karbala), and increasing the total cost of the project.

2- Implementing spare parts orders No. (8) and No. (9) for the (Baghdadi-Al-Dulaab-Anbar Water) project and increasing the reserve amount and the total cost of the project.

In the diplomatic field, the Council of Ministers approved the draft law to cancel the law ratifying the agreement exempting holders of diplomatic and service passports from entry visas, between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus No. (26) of 2023, which was prepared by the Council of State, and referred it to the House of Representatives based on provisions of the Constitution.

In the context of enhancing national security and supporting the national economy and national industry, the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for the Economy (24201 Q) was approved, which obliges all ministries and entities not affiliated with a ministry that use the liquefaction seals product (of various types) to purchase it from companies of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals instead of purchasing the imported foreign product, in implementation of Article (30/Second) of the Federal General Budget Law for the fiscal years (2023-2024-2025), due to the association of the aforementioned product with security, safety and health.

The Council of Ministers considered other topics on the agenda and took the following decisions:

First: Approval of the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for Human Development (24015 B), which includes the Ministry of Health joining the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, provided that the aforementioned ministry does not incur any financial or legal obligations.

Second: Authorizing the Minister of Finance, or her delegate, to sign the loan agreement financing the fire engine equipment project for the Ministry of Interior, with a guarantee from the British Export Credit Agency (UKEF), based on the Federal General Budget Law for the fiscal years (2023-2024-2025).

Third: Approval of the Basra Oil Company’s donation of (Al-Murbad Water Pump) to the Basra Governorate Water Directorate, based on the instructions to facilitate the implementation of the federal general budget for the fiscal years (2023-2024-2025).

Shafaq.com