Baghdad: During its twentieth session held today, Monday, chaired by Speaker Heibat al-Halbousi and attended by 232 MPs, the House of Representatives voted on recommendations to resolve the fuel crisis and concluded the reading and discussion of three bills.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Parliament’s Media Directorate stated that the Parliament voted on recommendations regarding the domestic fuel crisis, which had been discussed yesterday during the hosting of the Minister of Oil. These recommendations included reviewing Cabinet Decision No. 429 of 2026 concerning the price hike of petroleum products and studying its economic and social impacts. It also involved formulating an urgent plan to prevent bottlenecks and recurring fuel crises, ensuring the smooth flow of supplies between governorates, and submitting a detailed report to Parliament covering production, import, and consumption volumes, costs, strategic reserves, and quantities supplied to governorates.
The recommendations further emphasized establishing a clear timeline to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency in petroleum products and reduce import dependency, as well as tightening oversight of the fuel distribution system-from depots to filling stations-and penalizing instances of manipulation and smuggling in accordance with the law. The Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of these recommendations and submitting periodic reports to the Parliament’s leadership regarding measures taken and implementation rates.
Moreover, the recommendations included reviewing senior personnel within the Ministry of Oil based on specialization, reinstating the supply of subsidized petroleum products to farmers, and addressing the issue of petroleum products in the Kurdistan Region by reviewing the quantities of kerosene supplied and urgently allocating supplies ahead of winter. Additionally, discussions on the economic model for crude oil sales with the Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Committee were recommended, and the Ministry of Oil was mandated to review hydrogenation contracts and exclude underperforming companies.
The Parliament also concluded the first reading of the International Crimes Bill, which was submitted by several committees, including the Legal; Security and Defense; Human Rights; Women, Migration, and Displaced Persons; and Community Reconciliation committees. This bill aims to achieve criminal justice in accordance with the 2005 Constitution of the Republic of Iraq and in alignment with international obligations under treaties ratified by Iraq. It seeks to fill legislative gaps in Iraqi penal laws and grant national courts jurisdiction over the gravest crimes against national and international peace and security.
In addition, the Parliament completed the reading and discussion of the report on the bill to ratify the air transport agreement between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Austrian Federal Government, submitted by the Foreign Relations Committee. The relevant parliamentary committee has expressed readiness to incorporate feedback from MPs to refine the draft law.
The Parliament proceeded with the reading of the report and the discussion of the draft law for the first amendment to the Notary Public Law No. (33) of 1998, submitted by the Legal Committee. The committee invited MPs to submit their observations and planned to hear from relevant stakeholders and conduct a legal review before finalizing the legislation for a vote. Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi directed the Legal Committee to host relevant officials from the Ministry of Justice to enhance the law’s implementation.
The reading of the report and the discussion of the proposed law on combating information technology crimes were postponed. The relevant parliamentary committees have been instructed to hold workshops with experts and stakeholders to examine the draft law’s provisions and prepare it for inclusion on the agenda.
Subsequently, the Parliament adjourned its session until next Wednesday.