This measure aims to eliminate financial waste and avoid technical errors in preparing bills of quantities and cost estimates. The Ministry of Planning shall also develop a unified methodology to measure deviations between estimated, contracted, and final project costs, determine their causes and the responsibility arising therefrom, and submit an annual report to the Council of Ministers identifying the entities responsible for such deviations and the measures taken against them. In the electricity sector, the Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Electricity to sign the agreement for implementing the Comprehensive Plan for Securing Iraq’s Energy Supply and Developing the Electricity Sector (Generation and Transmission) with the U.S. company GE. The agreement shall enter into force simultaneously with the entry into force of the framework agreement to be signed between Iraq and the United States of America, following signature by both parties, and shall remain in effect until the relevant contracts are concluded. As part of efforts to develop the oil sector, the Council approved the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Oil (Basra Oil Company and North Oil Company) and the U.S. company Chevron, covering the Advance Payment Agreement, the Crude Oil Security Agreement, and the Letter of Guarantee Agreement, with the objective of increasing production. The Council also approved Basra Oil Company’s signing of a Heads of Agreement (HOA) and a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with a consortium comprising the U.S. company Capital TI, Qatar’s UCC, and the U.S. company Chevron, with the possibility of adding one of the state-owned companies to the consortium to advance the following strategic projects: The Strategic Export Pipeline Project (Basra–Haditha–Kirkuk–Ceyhan). The Basra–Haditha–Baniyas Export Pipeline Project. This will enable the consortium to begin preparing comprehensive technical and financial studies and evaluating these strategic pipeline routes without creating any financial or final contractual obligations for the Ministry of Oil. To enhance the flexibility of Iraq’s crude oil exports, the Council approved exempting the tender for consultancy services related to the Basra–Haditha Crude Oil Export Pipeline Project from the Government Contracts Implementation Instructions No. (1 of 2025), thereby enabling Basra Oil Company to proceed with the award and contract procedures with KBR to provide consultancy services for the project. In the same context, the Council approved adding 25,000 barrels of crude oil to the Iraq-China Framework Agreement and opening a dedicated account for this purpose to ensure the fulfillment of Iraq’s financial obligations, safeguard the country’s credit standing, and maintain the continuity of Chinese financing for development projects. In the education sector, the Council of Ministers authorized the Ministry of Education to announce a public tender for the printing of school textbooks by qualified local and international companies, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funding. The Council also assigned the Al-Nahrain State Company for Printing and Production of Educational Supplies to print school textbooks and authorized it to enter into contractual commitments with government and private printing presses to print the remaining textbook titles once the required financial allocations become available. The Council further approved the loan of 1,760 tablet devices used during the General Population and Housing Census by the Ministry of Planning to the General Directorate of Real Estate Registration for use in entering data related to the project for establishing a database of real estate owners. ••••• Media Office of the Prime Minister July 4, 2026