Committees News

The Finance and Economy Committee met Finance Ministry officials to discuss integrating and electronising the work of customs border gates. The Integrity Committee and the Finance Ministry discussed the spending of Erbil's special budget as the 2014 capital of tourism. The Relations committee will hold a workshop on a Kurdish Diaspora bill on 17 November.  

Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami on 10 November chaired a meeting of the heads of the parliamentary blocks to discuss the permanent committees and the distribution of MPs in the committees. The number of committees has been increased from 16 to 19, so membership of the committees needs to be decided and rearranged.

The Parliament Committee on Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry led by the chair Mr. Balen Ismaeel (Change) on 7 November visited the KRG Ministry of Electricity and met with Minister Kamal Muhammad Sadiq and several general directors and advisers.

Per Article 44 of the Kurdistan Parliament’s Internal Rules of Procedure, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament asked the Committee on Social Affairs, Protection of Women's Rights and Human Rights to follow up on the death of journalists Amanj Babani, Lana Mohammed and their son.

The Integrity and Complaints Committee decided to submit a report on the public's complaints about Garmian’s Directorate for Development Planning to the Kurdistan Region Integrity Commission. The Committee on Kurdistani Areas outside the KRG Administrative Area and British Consulate officials discussed the situation in those areas and the violations against IDP voters' rights in the amended Iraq Provincial Elections Law. 

The social affairs committee discussed the text of a bill on the rights and privileges of patients; The Legislative Committee discussed the bill on anti-smuggling of oil and oil products, and decided to submit it to Parliament's Presidency to be scheduled for its first reading.

The Peshmerga Committee visited Peshmerga Unit 80 to discuss Peshmerga's welfare, reform and transparency, and how to unify units 70 and 80 under the Peshmerga Ministry. The Commerce and Industry Committee discussed a bill on quality control in the Kurdistan Region, which consists of 11 articles. 

The Culture Committee congratulated Slemani city on receiving UNESCO's designation as a creative city in the field of literature. The Finance Committee and British Consulate officials discussed the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, and MPs said Kurdistan's government employees' salaries must be protected. The Integrity Committee submitted people's business investment problems to the Chairman of the Investment Board.

MPs discussed the impact of the current unrest and demonstrations in Iraq on Kurdistani areas outside the KRG Administrative Area. MPs are also concerned about the Iraqi Council of Representatives’ decision on 28th October to form a committee to amend the Iraqi Constitution, a decision made in the wake of the protests. The MPs stressed that people in the Kurdistani areas must be protected, fearing that amendments to the Constitution could undermine rights.

Committees this week discussed a Kurdish Diaspora bill, reducing bureaucracy to help farmers, and amendments to the law on the rights of people with disabilities. The Peshmerga Committee visited the new Peshmerga Hospital to find out their needs. The government of Germany funded the construction of the hospital.