At a Glance

• Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi chaired the 27th regular session of the Council of Ministers.

• Contracts valued at IQD 1 billion or more now require direct monitoring from the Prime Minister’s Office.

• The Federal Board of Supreme Audit is assigned to conduct prior audits before funds are disbursed.

• The Cabinet reviewed state financial accounts through August 2026 and Q2 asset recovery reports.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi chaired the regular session of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday evening, where officials discussed national developments, reviewed the cabinet agenda, and issued new financial oversight directives, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Office.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• At the outset of the session, al-Zaidi directed all government entities to immediately notify his office of any bid evaluation processes for contracts valued at IQD 1 billion or more.

• This new measure allows a representative from the Prime Minister’s Office to attend evaluations directly, taking effect from the date of issuance.

To further strengthen institutional oversight, the Council approved assigning the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to conduct prior audits on contracts and transactions before their implementation and the disbursement of funds.

Under this decision, the board will disregard observations already addressed under Council of Ministers Resolutions No. 264 and No. 278 of 2026.

During the meeting, ministers also examined the state’s financial account statements through August 2026, detailing actual revenues, expenditures, and ministerial spending across both current and investment budgets.

Additionally, the Cabinet reviewed the second-quarter 2026 performance report from the Iraq Assets Recovery Fund.

FYI

The review of the state’s financial statements was conducted pursuant to the provisions of the amended Federal Financial Management Law No. 6 of 2019, which mandates regular transparency and reporting on public spending.

Similarly, the Iraq Assets Recovery Fund report was presented in accordance with the amended Iraq Assets Recovery Law No. 9 of 2012, a framework designed to track and reclaim misappropriated state funds.

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