Iraqi Ministerial Economic Council Forms Joint Committee to Survey Unofficial Border Crossings

The Ministerial Council for Economy announced on Monday the formation of a joint committee tasked with surveying and visiting unofficial border crossings and outlets in the Kurdistan Region. This decision emerged during the Council's fifth session, chaired by the Acting Minister of Finance and Planning, Faleh Al-Sari, and held at the Council's headquarters. It was attended by the acting Ministers of Trade, Industry, and Labour and Social Affairs, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Deputy Head of the National Investment Commission, the Prime Minister's Advisor for Legal Affairs, and the Director-General of the Economic Department at the Ministry of Oil. The Council hosted a delegation from the Kurdistan Region, led by its Minister of Finance, comprising the Secretary-General of the Regional Council of Ministers, the Head of Representation, and the Directors-General for Customs, Taxation, and Follow-up, along with other experts. Also present were Major General Omar Al-Waeli, Head of the Federal Border Crossings Authority, the Undersecretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Directors-General of both the Customs and Tax Authorities, and representatives for the implementation of the ASYCUDA program. Discussions aimed at unifying customs and tax procedures at border crossings, including those in the Kurdistan Region, based on reports from the joint committees. Following the Council's review of presentations from the joint team and proposals concerning the ASYCUDA system's implementation mechanism and its challenges, the following decisions were adopted: First: The formation of a joint committee, to be chaired by the Federal Border Crossings Authority with the participation of representatives from relevant federal and regional government entities. This committee will conduct a comprehensive survey of the border strip and visit unofficial crossings and outlets in the Region. The committee will submit a detailed report to the Ministerial Council for Economy, identifying crossings that meet conditions and possess the necessary infrastructure for official conversion, and proposing the closure of other unsuitable crossings, with directives for the Federal Border Guard Command to implement this order. Second: The Federal Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance in the Region, shall prepare a unified booklet on customs exemptions and allowances. This booklet will be ratified by the Federal Council of Ministers and circulated to all border crossings for implementation. Third: Proposals from both sides regarding the revenue collection mechanism at border crossings within the Kurdistan Region are to be submitted to the Federal Council of Ministers.