Tishwash: An important meeting… Baghdad to resolve the salaries issue tonight
Kurdish media reported on Sunday that the capital, Baghdad, will host an important meeting tonight, attended by Kurdish ministers in the federal government and heads of parliamentary blocs, to discuss and resolve the issue of salaries in the Kurdistan Region.
These outlets quoted their sources as saying, “The meeting will be attended by Justice Minister Khaled Shawani, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Reconstruction Minister Benkin Rikani, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Shakhwan Abdullah, and the head of the Kurdish blocs in parliament.”
She added that “the anticipated meeting is being held to take urgent measures to resolve the region’s employee salary crisis,” stressing that “the Federal Court will hold a special session tomorrow for the same purpose.” link
Tishwash: Customs discusses with ASYCUDA procedures for unifying the customs system between the central and regional authorities.
The General Authority of Customs discussed, on Sunday, with the ASYCUDA national team and a delegation from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the mechanisms for implementing Resolution 270, the application of the 2017 Harmonized System Code, the steps for institutional integration, and the unification of customs procedures between the center and the region.
The Authority indicated that the next phase will witness a direct link and immediate exchange of customs information between the two parties.
The authority said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The Director General of the General Authority of Customs, Thamer Qasim Daoud, chaired a joint meeting in Baghdad that included a delegation from the Kurdistan Region Customs, a representative of the Ministry of Interior in the region, and the national team of the ASYCUDA project, to discuss steps for institutional integration and unification of customs procedures between the center and the region.”
The statement added, “The meeting discussed the mechanisms for implementing Cabinet Resolution No. (270) of 2024, which is a pivotal station in unifying customs policies, regulating the movement of trade exchange in a manner consistent with applicable laws and enhancing control over customs centers throughout the country.”
He continued, “The attendees also discussed the implementation of the 2017 Harmonized System for Data Security (HS Code) at all customs centers, including the region’s customs, to facilitate the unification and integration of data between the federally approved ASYCUDA system and the systems operating in the region.”
The Director General of the General Authority of Customs confirmed, according to the statement, that “the next phase will witness a direct link and immediate exchange of customs information between the two parties, via a unified technical platform that will contribute to accelerating procedures, raising the level of transparency, and achieving fairness in the evaluation and valuation of goods.”
He added, “This move comes as part of the government’s program to address economic reform, combat corruption, and reduce the waste of public funds, by building an integrated digital system that ensures standardization, controls the movement of goods, and increases revenues across all customs centers.”
He concluded, “During the meeting, it was agreed to form specialized technical teams from both sides to undertake technical coordination and work to overcome challenges, leading to the launch of a unified system across Iraq that supports economic sovereignty and enhances institutional confidence.” link
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Tishwash: 130 laws stalled in Parliament, including conscription, the Federal Court, and the salary scale
On Sunday, July 13, 2025, the Parliamentary Legal Committee revealed the number of laws stalled in the Iraqi Parliament. It indicated that the failure to pass these laws, which include the law on compulsory military service, the Federal Court, and the salary scale, is due to political disagreements.
Committee Chairman Mohammed Anouz told Al-Jabal Platform, “There are more than 130 suspended laws in the Iraqi parliament, some of which have been suspended since previous parliamentary sessions due to political disagreements. These disagreements have deepened during the current session, leading to the continued suspension of these laws, along with the significant and dangerous disruption of sessions and the parliament’s oversight role.”
Anouz explained that “among the most prominent of these suspended laws are: the Oil and Gas Law, the Popular Mobilization Law, the Military Service Law, the National Oil Company Law, the Federal Civil Service Law, the Slums Law, the Federal Court Law, the Retirement Law, the amendment to the Salary Scale Law, and many others.”
Anouz ruled out “passing these laws during the current parliamentary session,” citing “ongoing political disagreements over them.”
Yesterday, Saturday, the Iraqi Council of Representatives held its first parliamentary session of the final legislative term of the parliament, following the end of the two-month legislative recess.
Today, the Iraqi Parliament announced its intention to hold a new session tomorrow, Monday, to discuss several draft laws, including a report and a proposal to amend the House of Representatives Law.
The session is scheduled to be held at 1:00 PM tomorrow, Monday, according to a statement from the House of Representatives’ media department.
The department announced the agenda for the upcoming session, which it indicated will include: “Voting on the Chairman and members of the Federal Service Council, voting on the Chairman of the Council of State, voting on the proposed law amending the first law of the foundations of equivalence of Arab and foreign certificates and degrees No. 20 of 2020, Article 18, and voting on the draft law ratifying the agreement on the encouragement and mutual protection of investment between the government of the Republic of Iraq and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Article 2.”
The session will also include, according to the department: “Report and discussion of the second reading of the proposed law amending the first amendment to the Ministry of Education Law No. 22 of 2011, Article 5. Report and discussion (second reading) of the proposed law on environmental protection and improvement.
Report and discussion (second reading) of the draft law on the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the agreement signed on July 28, 1994 regarding the implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In addition to the report and discussion (second reading) of the proposed amendment to the Law of the Council of Representatives and its formations No. 13 of 2018.”link
