Parliament passes four bills into law, holds second reading of Tourism Bill
At the Kurdistan Parliament sitting of 22 June 2022, MPs voted four bills into law. They also held the second reading of the Bill on Tourism.
Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq presided over the sitting, with Deputy Speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami and Secretary Muna Kahveci alongside her.
MPs passed the following bills into law, by majority votes: the Bill on Board of Accreditation of Education and Higher Education Institutions and Programs; the Bill on the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism; the Legislative Proposal on Amendment to Implementation of the Law on Welfare of Juveniles, Law No. 76 of 1983; and the Legislative Proposal on Implementation of the amended Law on the Seizure of Smuggled and Prohibited Goods Destined for Trade in the Domestic Market, amended Law No. 18 of 2008.
The first readings were held of these two bills: the First Amendment to the Law on Protection and Improvement of the Environment in Kurdistan Region – Iraq (Law No. 8 of 2008); and the first amendment to the Oil and Gas Law of Kurdistan Region - Iraq, Law No. 22 of 2007.
Speaker Faiq asked the relevant committees and all MPs to work on the two bills to prepare them for their second readings at future sittings.
MPs held the second reading of the Bill on Tourism in Kurdistan Region – Iraq. MPs also discussed the bill’s appendix of the schedule for annual rents and fees for tourist sites.
The KRG Minister for Municipalities and Tourism Sasan Awni, and Minister for the Region for Parliament Affairs Dr. Vala Fareed were present for the bill’s second reading. They as well as MPs made comments and suggestions on the details of the bill, which will be enriched and put to vote at a future sitting.
The purpose of the bill is to take account of the importance of the tourism sector for increasing the Region’s revenues; to raise more awareness of the identity, culture, civilization, and history of the people of Kurdistan through tourism; and to emphasize the planning and implementation of a clear strategy for the tourism sector so that it makes a greater contribution to the nation’s economy.
Parliament also voted in favour of the resignations of Karwan Abdulrahman Abdullah from the Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee, and of Sarwan Muhammad Ali from the Parliament Affairs and Complaints Committee.
Speaker Faiq ended the sitting by moving the rest of the agenda to the next day’s sitting.
