Baghdad: The Reconstruction and Development Parliamentary Bloc announced its initiative to compensate rice farmers who were unable to cultivate their land in 2022 due to water scarcity. The bloc also revealed a package of legislative and service-related priorities concerning housing, investment, medicine, and combating corruption.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Bloc leader MP Bahaa al-Araji stated in a joint press conference that “the bloc has adopted a proposal to compensate rice farmers affected by the inability to cultivate their crops in 2022 due to the dire circumstances related to water scarcity.” He explained that initial procedures have been referred to the Ministry of Finance to include the necessary allocations in the general budget.

He added that the bloc is working on mechanisms to implement a previous Cabinet decision regarding addressing the status of agricultural lands on which housing has been built, converting them to residential land in accordance with legal regulations. This aims to regulate the legal status of these units and alleviate the burden on citizens.

Al-Araji indicated that supporting the housing sector will be among the priorities of the upcoming legislative session, through pushing for amendments to the Investment Law to ensure that housing benefits reach low-income segments of the population and are not limited to investment projects.

He noted that the bloc will also support legislation for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), along with a proposal for proactive internal oversight of government contracts to curb corruption before contracts are finalized. Furthermore, they will support the establishment of a drug and food fund to ensure the continued availability of essential medicines, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, independent of fluctuations in liquidity and annual allocations.