Iraq grants US$10 million for Japan from its “emergency fund”

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Council of Ministers has decided to help Japan with a 10 million dollar grant, as emergency aid from its “emergency fund,” for the year 2011.   “The Council of Ministers has decided in its 34th session on Wednesday to “help Japan by alloting them 10 million dollars as an emergency aid for the recent natural disaster and consequent problems Japan has suffered. The funding will come from from Iraq’s ’emergency fund.’ In addition we hope to address the offers made by Japanese companies to import Iraqi oil,” the Iraqi government’s official Spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.   “The Council of Ministers has decided to exempt the government offices and the Public Sector from its decision 215 of 2009, and allow them to buy cars from inside Iraq, as well as the imports of the models for the past two years. We also plan to exempt the foreign missions and technical consulates from the condition of the model for their imported personal cars for the next 5 years,” Dabbagh added.   The Council also decided to grant “the employees, appointed on the permanent sector in southern Iraq’s Basra Oil Terminal and al-Omaya Oil Terminal of the Oil Ministry, special allowances, which may total up to 30 percent of their basic salaries.”   The last decision, taken by the Council of Minister, was an “agreement on Iraq’s enrollment in the ‘Basic System of the Islamic States Institute for Specifications,’ and to pass this on to Parliament for final approval.”   SKH (TI) 530