Speaker Rewas Faiq visits Raparin Administration to look into Coronavirus measures and impact

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewas Faiq on 15 April visited Raparin Administration and met with its head Hiwa Qereni and other officials, to discuss the impact of the Coronavirus containment measures and the healthcare and economic needs of Raparin.

Speaker Faiq was accompanied by MPs from different parties and the Chief of Diwan of Parliament. As well as meeting the head of the Administration Hiwa Qereni, they also met with the mayors of the sub-districts and the head of the Coronavirus containment operations.

Raparin Administration officials said that measures to contain the Coronavirus have impacted the economy in the area, particularly as it borders Iran and the Keli customs border in the area has been closed. Speaker Faiq said she will ask the executive about reopening the customs border and Raparin's health and funding needs. 

They asked for more health infrastructure and funds to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak. They also asked Kurdistan Parliament to call on the executive to reduce or waive government fees and reduce taxes and costs of public services, as people's incomes have fallen heavily due to the pandemic.

Speaker Faiq thanked the public for following the lockdown and health protection measures and thanked all the frontline workers helping to contain the Coronavirus outbreak: doctors, nurses, all healthcare workers, police, security forces and the Peshmerga, as well as the authorities.

The Kurdistan Parliament Speaker said that Parliament has asked the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to waive some fees and taxes due to the economic impact of the Coronavirus measures, and the KRG cabinet in their meeting on 1 April decided to find mechanisms to alleviate the financial burden on day wage earners and tenants.

She added that Parliament is ready, if needed, to pass the decisions necessary to ensure that the financial burden is reduced.

Dr. Faiq and the delegation also met with the Mayor of Pshder, Abubakir Baiz, and officials in the Coronavirus operations centre. She pledged to follow up on their need for more medical and protective equipment to contain the virus.