Committees' recent meetings - 2 June 2021

A summary of Kurdistan Parliament's committees' recent work and meetings:

Committee on Kurdistani Areas outside KRG Administrative Area

30 May – The committee, led by the chair Jiwan Rojbayani (KDP), met with the directors of Kirkuk Governorate’s directorates to discuss the challenges faced by the Kurdish education sector in those areas.

The committee pledged to exert all efforts and raise the problems in Parliament to help resolve them.  The MPs also stressed that the Kurdistan Regional Government must communicate with the Iraqi Federal Government to normalize the situation in these areas.

Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry Committee

31 May – The committee, led by the chair Ali Hama Salih (Change), met with representatives of the chambers of commerce of Kurdistan Region.

They discussed the proposed second amendments to the Law on the Union of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Kurdistan Region (Law No. 14 of 1993), which had its first reading on 18 May.

After exchanging views, the committee decided to have a meeting with the KRG Ministry of Trade and Industry so that the amendments can be drafted to best serve the interests of the public.

Social Affairs and Protection of Human Rights Committee

31 May – The committee, led by the chair Romeo Hakari (National Union Coalition), discussed with the representatives of the thalassemia and dwarfism associations their social, health and economic problems, especially the issues of salaries and education.

The association representatives informed the MPs about several issues that they said must be regulated in accordance with the law.

The committee members expressed their support for the demands and assured the associations that these issues will be raised with the relevant authorities and followed up.

The Committee also welcomed representatives of child protection organizations, the Independent Commission for Human Rights, and the Women and Juvenile Reform Directorate in Erbil.

They discussed the problem of children who live in prisons with their mothers, who are serving sentences. The organizations urged the committee to find solutions to this problem.

The MPs decided to assign a member of the committee to visit the relevant authorities with the aim of finding appropriate solutions.

Finance and Economic Affairs Committee

26 May - the committee, led by chair Ziyad Jabbar (PUK), discussed the Bill on Application of the Iraq Stamp Duty Law (Law No. 71 of 2012) in Kurdistan Region, which had its first reading on 18 May. The committee decided to host the relevant KRG authorities and to work on the articles of the bill in detail.

31 May - The committee, led by chair Ziyad Jabbar (PUK), met with Jamil Abubakr Aziz, the General Director of Quality Assurance. They discussed the Bill on Application of the Iraq Stamp Duty Law (Law No. 71 of 2012) in Kurdistan Region.

For more discussions the committee decided to host the relevant authorities at the next meeting to study in detail the provisions of the bill.

Endowments and Religious Affairs Committee

26 May - The committee, led by the chair Dr. Hawraman Gacheney (KIG), discussed their recent meeting with the Supreme Fatwa Council in Kurdistan Region, which they viewed as an important step towards more coordination.

They discussed how this year’s Hajj pilgrimages to Mecca should be handled. Last year no citizens of Kurdistan Region did not carried out the Hajj because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The MPs decided to ask to meet officials in charge of the Hajj pilgrimage from Kurdistan Region to look inro the procedures.

The MPs exchanged views on the reopening of women’s prayer areas in mosques in line with health guidelines, and they decided to raise this issue with the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.

The committee discussed all the notes and requests sent to them by the public. Several of them were answered, and others were directed to Parliament's Presidency to resolve and follow-up with the relevant authorities.

Municipalities, Transport, Communication, Travel and Tourism Committee

31 May - The committee, led by the chair Luqman Wardi (PUK), the first amendments to Law no. 3 of 2019, the Law on Illegally Taken or Used Land in Kurdistan Region’s Municipalities, which had their second reading on 26 May.

The MPs exchanged their views on the amendments and decided to prepare their final report on bill for their joint meeting with the Legislative Committee.

The MPs formed a sub-committee to investigate illegal ownership of the state’s properties, in order to prepare a report on the issue.

Reconstruction and Investment Committee

31 May – The committee, led by the chair Hawre Mala Star (PUK), discussed preparing their report on the Bill on Application of and Amendments to the Law on Industrial Investment for Private and Mixed Sectors in Kurdistan Region (amended Law No. 20 of 1998), which had its first reading on 18 May. MPs gave their views on the bill.

All of the notes and requests sent to the committee were read and given responses.