Baghdad: The Ministry of Planning held its eleventh meeting of the preparatory committee for the Fourth Arab Summit on Small and Medium Enterprises and Entrepreneurship. The committee, established by Decree No. 29, gathered on Tuesday under the leadership of Dr. Maher Hammad Johaan, the Undersecretary for Technical Affairs. The meeting was attended by committee members and various supporting entities.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the meeting focused on evaluating the draft minutes from the tenth main committee meeting, with discussions centered around observations and recommendations put forth by members. These recommendations were subsequently approved. The meeting’s agenda also included a thorough review of the contracting process, emphasizing steps taken after the draft contract was submitted to the Legal Department and the Government Contracts Department for their feedback. A significant recommendation from the meeting was to expedite the formation of a negotiation team to liaise with the organizing company before finalizing the contract within the designated timeframe.

The committee also addressed financial preparations, including the Finance Committee’s review of steps taken to open a bank account for receiving donations and funding conference expenses. Discussions were held on the legal mechanisms for categorizing sponsor contributions, whether cash or in-kind. Additionally, the meeting provided an overview of the outcomes from the sponsors’ meeting, feedback from companies and sponsors regarding sponsorship packages, and the benefits involved. The work of the Media Committee was also reviewed, including the minutes from its meeting and its media plan for the summit.

The meeting saw participation from several directors general and representatives from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, alongside delegates from the Ministries of Planning, Foreign Affairs, Higher Education, and Agriculture, as well as the Central Bank of Iraq, the National Investment Commission, and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce.