Committees’ recent meetings – 16 to 30 June 2022
A summary of Kurdistan Parliament's committees' work and meetings from 16 to 30 June 2022:
Health, Environment and Consumer Rights Committee
22 June 2022 – The committee prepared their report on the First Amendment to the Law on Environmental Protection and Improvement, Law No. 8 of 2008, so that it can be scheduled for its second reading at a sitting.
Earlier the same day, the bill had its first reading and Speaker Faiq asked the committee to work on it urgently as a priority.
Parliament Affairs and Complaints Committee
21 June 2022 – The committee discussed staff compliance with working hours, and permanent contract guards and payment of their salaries, and decided write to Parliament’s Presidency on these issues.
The committee replied to and followed up on correspondence.
Peshmerga Committee
29 June 2022 – The committee discussed preparing a joint report with four other Parliament committees on the rocket attacks on Khormor gas field in Chamchamal. The Parliament Speaker assigned the committees with drafting the report.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Integrity Committee
29 June 2022 – The committee discussed several corruption cases and decided to take measures against them. They stressed the importance of reactivating Kurdistan Region’s Integrity Commission and electing its new head.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Committee
26 June 2022 – The committee met with the KRG Education Minister Alan Hama Saeed and for 11 hours discussed the details of the Education Bill. The committee continued to work on their report on the bill for its second reading.
Energy, Natural Resources, Commerce and Industry Committee
19 June 2022 – The committee visited the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources and met with the acting Minister Kamal Mohammed, his deputy and general directors.
They discussed the daily demand for petrol of 5 to 6 million litres, and stressed the need to improve its quality and distribution at reasonable prices.
Acting Minister Kamal Mohammed said, "We have decided to distribute one million litres of petrol, at 690 dinars per litre, fairly to all the provinces and will try to increase the daily production of 800 dinar-per-litre petrol to three million litres."
"In the future, the Lanaz refinery will produce petrol. We have asked that petrol be distributed to all the cities at a reasonable price, and that petrol production be increased at domestic refineries.”
The committee raised the problem of diesel fuel being mixed with oil and other substances and sold as diesel, and also being used in neighborhood electricity generators which poses a major health risk to the public. The committee showed evidence, and called for domestically produced diesel not to be exported and to be kept for domestic use.
The Ministry of Natural Resources decided to investigate the issue and told the parliamentary committee that doctoring fuel is a crime.
Regarding LPG for household and commercial gas and the gas used for cars, the committee called for price controls and reductions, and to ban any exports until domestic demand is met, under strict supervision.
"The ministry is preparing a plan for domestic gas use of domestic production, before exports," the acting Minister said.
The committee asked the Ministry to prepare for the distribution of heating kerosene to households in the winter.
22 June 2022 – The committee discussed the Bill on the First Amendment to the Kurdistan Region Oil and Gas Law, which was sent by the KRG Council of Ministers. The proposed amendment is to include the Head of the Diwan of the KRG Council of Ministers in the membership of the Kurdistan Region Oil and Gas Council. The MPs prepared the bill for its second reading today.
Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee
20 June 2022 - The committee discussed the plight and suffering of Kurdish migrants in Europe, and also discussed their report on the migrants who went missing in the Aegean Sea and migrants stuck on Europe’s borders. The report will be submitted to the Presidency of Parliament as soon as possible so that it can be scheduled for deliberations at a sitting.
21 June 2022 - Deputy Speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami chaired the vote for the election of the committee’s new Rapporteur, with Secretary Muna Kahveci and a representative of the Legislative Committee alongside him.
Mr. Idris Ismail Abush (KDP) was unanimously elected as the committee’s new rapporteur.
Social Affairs and Human Rights Committee
16 June 2022 – The committee met with Dr. Hisham al-Alawy, Head of the Human Rights Office of Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Bakhtiar Haji, the KRG Director General for Communications and Monitoring in Baghdad, also participated.
They discussed international reports, the work of international organizations and agencies, the crimes of ISIS and genocide. They decided to arrange more cooperation on human rights issues.
27 June 2022 – The committee decided that after the Eid holidays they would visit the directorates of social care and development and of prisons under the KRG Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Erbil.
The committee replied to correspondence.
Culture, Civil Society, Sports and Youth Committee
20 June 2022 – The committee issued this condolence message:
We are very saddened to learn of the passing of Mohammed Ahmad Erbili, the icon of song and music in Erbil and for all Kurdistan, who passed away today in Erbil after battling illness.
Erbili was born in 1933 in Erbil, Kurdistan and became a singer in his youth. Through his unique style, he contributed to the annals of Kurdish and Turkmen songs. With the passing away of Mohammed Ahmad Erbili, Erbil and Kurdistan have lost a great original singer whose works have an important place in our culture’s history.
We extend our condolences to his family and all the artists. May his soul rest in peace.
Reconstruction and Investment Committee
30 June 2022 –The committee asked the Chairman of the Investment Board Dr. Muhammad Shukri about the plan to build housing units for citizens who pay rent or earn low incomes, in terms of the selection criteria for applicants, and the type and quality of the housing.
Dr. Muhammad Shukri said, "In the past two weeks the application form process has begun and so far about 90,000 people from the governorates and independent administrations have submitted applications. The process will continue until 22 July 2022."
He added, "As well as married families, unmarried men and women over 30 are eligible to apply.”
He said that the number of apartments built in each governorate and independent administration will be based on the number of residents.
"There are three different sizes of apartments: 80, 100 and 120 square metres," he said.
The Head of the Investment Board said that beneficiaries will pay only 30 percent of the price of the units, and will pay it off in monthly payments over 12 to 15 years.
The committee chair Hawre Mala Star (PUK) said, "This project must be implemented as soon as possible and should be followed by similar projects, so that those who are most in need will benefit."
Afterwards they held a joint press conference.
Martyrs, Genocide and Political Prisoners Committee
22 June 2022 – The committee met with the General Directorates of Martyrs and Anfal Victims Affairs of Slemani, Halabja and Garmian to raise the complaints made by families of martyrs and Anfal victims and by former political prisoners. After lengthy discussions, the committee decided to submit a report on the issues to Parliament’s Presidency.
27 June 2022 – The committee met with the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs’ committee for the review and reform of the list of former detainees and political prisoners. The review of the list is part of the implementation of the Reform Law, in order to remove non-eligible or fraudulent claimants.
The Ministry’s committee explained the challenges in implementing the Reform Law in this area.
The Parliament committee also raised the complaints and questions from former political prisoners.
29 June 2022 - The committee discussed their last two meetings with the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs’ committee for the review and reform of the list of former detainees and political prisoners, and with the general directorates of martyrs affairs in Slemani, Halabja and Garmian.
They also discussed two MPs’ recent meetings with the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs to scrutinize their work.
The committee decided to send questions to the Ministry in an official letter.
Municipalities, Communication, Transport and Tourism Committee
20 June 2022 - The committee finalized their report for the voting on the Bill on the Ministry of Municipalities, so that the bill is ready to be put to vote at a Parliament sitting. The committee replied to correspondence.
Finance and Economic Affairs Committee
21 June 2022 – The committee discussed 12 reports that they are preparing on: The Government’s debt to public sector employees for unpaid salaries; public sector employees’ promotions; failure to send the budget to the Kurdistan Parliament; ; paying employees their salary arrears; the state of finances in Kurdistan Region’s banks; inadequate salary distribution mechanism and delays, inadequate collection of taxes and fees; giving permanent employee status to contract employees and daily-rate teachers; hiring the top three university graduates; graduate unemployment; tax increases and higher market prices; and unemployment.
28 June 2022 – The committee discussed the KRG’s third report on the reform process and decided to prepare their general report and submit it to Parliament’s Presidency so that it can be discussed in the presence of the relevant ministers.
Agriculture and Irrigation Committee
28 June 2022 – The committee discussed their findings on encroachment and misuse of agricultural land and property, and decided that their advisers should supplement and compile their findings into a report.
29 June 2022 – The committee visited Erbil Wheat Silo and met with officials who showed them the wheat received so far and explained the systems for quality control and payments to farmers.
The officials said that so far 103,000 tons of wheat has been received from farmers and the Iraqi Federal Government has sent 11.25 billion dinars (11.25 bn IQD) to Erbil, of which 9.25 billion dinars have been paid to the farmers and the remaining 2 billion dinars will also be paid in the next few days.
The silo officials said that their budget is just 2.5 million dinars which makes it very difficult to run the silo. The committee raised with the Minister for Trade and Industry the need to increase the silo’s management budget so that they can work more efficiently.
Joint committee meetings
Municipalities Committee with Legislative Committee
26 June 2022 – Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq chaired a joint meeting of the Legislative Committee and the Municipalities, Communication, Transport and Tourism Committee to discussing MPs’ suggestions and comments on the Tourism Bill.
At the meeting the voting report of the Bill was prepared for the next Kurdistan Parliament sitting.