The Ministerial Economic Council decided, today, Monday, to include imported construction materials in the quality control examination.
The media office of the Ministerial Economic Council said in a statement: “Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Ministerial Economic Council, Fouad Hussein, chaired the twenty-second regular session of the Ministerial Economic Council, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Planning, Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil, and the Prime Minister’s advisors for economic and legal affairs.”
The statement added, “The Council discussed the items on its agenda and took appropriate decisions, as the Council hosted the Major General, Head of the Border Ports Authority, Head of the General Authority of Customs, Director General of the Administrative Department of the Integrity Commission, and Head of
the Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control to discuss the issue of examining materials used in investment projects and to emphasize the return of shipments that fail the examination for the sake of public safety.”
The statement indicated that “the Council listened to a briefing presented by those concerned with this issue, and the Head of the General Authority of Customs indicated the imminent implementation of the electronic system in customs work in order to expedite the process of releasing goods according to legal methods, with ease and transparency.” He explained that “the Council decided to include construction materials imported by investment companies in the pre-inspection procedures by international inspection companies contracted with the Ministry of Planning /Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, with the concerned authorities taking the necessary measures to audit and withdraw random samples and examine them. The Council also decided that the Border Ports a
nd General Customs Authorities, in coordination with the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, would prepare a mechanism to ensure that non-conforming materials are resent and not leaked into local markets.”
The statement indicated that in order to “develop a new strategy to improve the investment environment in the oil industries sector, the Council hosted Al-Barham Company for Refining and Distribution of Oil Products in order to seek the opinion of investors and solid companies on the mechanism for developing and encouraging the work of private companies in this important sector and listening to the reality of their work and overcoming difficulties, if any. The Council decided to support the steps taken by the Ministry of Oil in this field.”
The Council recommended to the Council of Ministers to postpone the collection of customs duties for the food basket (ration card) imported in the name of the Ministry of Trade in support of the citizen’s food security.
Source: National Iraq
i News Agency