Mandate

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful
In the Name of the People
Kurdistan National Assembly – Iraq

Pursuant to the Act issued by the Kurdistan National Assembly – Iraq, and in accordance with the First Article of Act (1) of Year 2005 of the Iraqi Kurdistan Presidential Order, the following Act has been issued:

Article One:

Glossary:-

One: Region: Kurdistan Region – Iraq
Two: The Ministry: The Regional Ministry of Planning.
Three: The Minister: The Regional Minister of Planning
Four: Deputy: Deputy Minister of Planning
Five: Center: Centre of Administrative Development

Article Two:

The Ministry attempts to achieve the following objectives:
First: Under the current and anticipated necessary requirements of the society, develops plans for promoting regional economic, social, humanitarian and cultural aspects.

Second: In cooperation with the line ministries and the public as well as the private sectors, prepares comprehensive references for long, medium, and shot term plans including the implied objectives and policies of those plans.

Third: Develops plans, in cooperation with the line ministries and the relevant departments, to resolve various social problems.

Fourth: Develops investment schemes for the government, in cooperation with the relevant ministries, and proposes a special budget for investments from the overall budget of the state and distributes it according to the provinces’ urban and rural areas, taking into account priorities of the reconstruction projects which are funded by the investment budget, and monitors the progress of those projects’ implementation.

 Fifth: Developing annual general program (both long and short term) to prepare the required labor force in cooperation with universities and educational institutions.

Sixth: Coordinates cooperation with governmental institutions to undertake the necessary researches to develop, improve and promote the administrative structure of those institutions along with building the capacity for work implementation and developing the capability of heads of technical and administrative sections as well as training other skill levels.

Seventh: Attempts to balance between the available resources and the requirements for potential development through outlining effective principles and comprehensive directions for the strategic management of the economic and social development.

Eight: promotes the establishment of e-governance for data collection, establishment of data bank, and adopting flexible methods for building institutional government.

Ninth: Cooperates with the Federal Government of Iraq to research donation resources from countries and international organizations. Participates in negotiation talks with donors for the purpose of convincing them to fulfill their pledges, to obtain assistance and loans, and to coordinate efforts with the Regional Ministry of Finance and Economy to fund the projects in the Region.

Tenth: Encourages private sector as well as local and foreign investors to participate in the regional development process. And proposes, in cooperation with other relevant governmental institutions, policies and practical methods of improving this sector.

Eleventh: In cooperation with the Standardization and Quality Control Center at the Ministry of Planning and Development of the Federal Government of Iraq, and in accordance with the Iraqi and international specifications, the Ministry follows a national system of standards and quality control in the region. And monitors the application of the system, conducts inspections, analyses and researches on the standards and quality control process. Makes recommendations to the regional government and the private sectors on such affairs, upon request.

Twelfth: In cooperation with the relevant institutions of the Federal Government of Iraq, collects data related to the population census, houses and sector related statistical figures in the region.

Thirteenth: In the planning process for the Ministry’s plans and programs, takes the protection of the environment of the region into account.

Structure of the Ministry

Article Three:

The Ministry consists of the following:-

First: The Minister: The most senior official who is in charge of the direction, supervision and observation of every policy, decision and regulation related to the structural make-up, duties and responsibilities of the Ministry and also to the technical, financial and administrative affairs of the Ministry. Under this Act, the aforementioned will be issued by the Minister and will be implemented under his/her supervision. The minister is accountable to the Council of Ministers as the authorized member by the Council. He is entitled to delegate any parts of his authorities to the Deputy Minister, the Director Generals and/or any employee, if he considers him/her eligible.

Second: The Deputy Minister: The objective of the vested authorities in the Deputy Minister is to assist the Minister in directing the Ministry. The Deputy Minister must have a university degree and professional experience and expertise.

Third: Office of the Minister: An employee with a Director title runs this office while assisted by several other employees. The Director must have a university degree.

Fourth: Office of the Deputy Minister: An employee with a Director title runs this office while assisted by several other employees. The Director must have a university degree.

Fifth: Advisors: They should not be more than four in number. They must have university degrees and professional experiences and expertise.

Sixth: Regional Statistics Board: An employee with a Director General title runs this institution, provided that he/she has a university degree. He/she will perform his/her tasks and duties according to the authorities vested in him/her.

Seventh: The Regional Board for Standardization and Quality Control: An employee with a Director General title runs this institution; he/she must have a university degree. He/she will perform his/her tasks and duties according to the authorities vested in him/her; and the provincial offices of Standardization and Quality Controls are subsidiary to his/her authority.

Eighth: General Directorate of Administrative and Financial Affairs: an employee with a Director General title runs this directorate, provided that he/she has a university degree. He/she is responsible of ensuring and managing provisions of necessary requirements of work flow. The Directorate of Administrative and Financial Affairs consists of the following departments: 

1. Department of Administrative Affairs
2. Department of Financial Affairs
3. Department of Legal Affairs
4. Department of Personnel
5. Department of Contractors Classification 

Nine: General Directorate of Preparation and Coordination of Development Plans: an employee with a Director General title runs this directorate, provided that he/she has a university degree. This directorate consists of the following departments: 

1. Department of Development Planning
2. Department of Economic Planning
3. Department of Agricultural Planning
4. Department of Industrial Planning
5. Department of Tourism Planning
6. Department of Construction, Housing and Services Planning
7. Department of Communication and Transportation Planning 

Tenth: General Directorate of Planning Investment Budget Projects: an employee with a Director General title runs this directorate, provided that he/she has a university degree. This directorate consists of the following departments: 

1. Department of Projects’ Prioritization
2. Department of Projects’ Division
3. Department of Projects’ Feasibility

Eleventh: General Directorate of Human Resources Development: an employee with a Director General title runs this directorate, provided that he/she has a university degree. This directorate consists of the following departments: 

1. Regional Centre of Administrative Development

2. Directorate of Workforce and Employment Policies

3. Directorate of Educational and Learning Policies

4. Directorate of social Development Policies

5. Directorate of Information Technology 

Twelfth: General Directorate of Development Coordination and Cooperation: an employee with a Director General title runs this directorate, provided he/she has a university degree. This directorate consists of the following departments: 

1. Directorate of Relations
2. Department of International Organizations and Donor Countries Affairs Management
3. Department of Investment and Private Sector Promotion Policies  

Article Four: 

The Minister is authorized to sign contract with experts and experienced individuals from inside and outside of the region, to perform the tasks the minister assigns to them for the duration the minister prefers, only for the purpose of achieving the objectives of the ministry, after the Council of Ministers’ approval, the minister outlines the tasks and the rights of the contracted individuals.

Article Five:-

First: The structural make-up, tasks and duties of the Ministry will be determined in a directive.

Second: The Minister is authorized to establish new directorates and departments as well as to combine or cancel them, within the framework of the ministry’s departments to meet the requirements of the work flow.

Third: The Minister is authorized to issue new instructions to facilitate the implementation of the Articles of this Act.

Article Sixth:

Any law contradicting the Articles of this Act is invalid.

Article Seventh:

The Council of Ministers and the concerned parties should implement the Articles of this Act.

Article Eighth:

This Act is valid as of the date of its publication in the official paper (Kurdistan Affairs).

Massud Barzani
President of the Kurdistan Region – Iraq
Issued in Erbil, on October 16th, 2006
Reasons for Issuing this Act

As a new ministry is established within Kurdistan Regional Government which will be assigned to plan regional development and promote economic, social, humanitarian and cultural aspects to meet the current and anticipated requirements of the Kurdistan communities, as well as to assist other governmental institutions in conducting necessary researches for advancing, renewing and management of the economic and social strategy and resolving various social problems and rearranging the workforce. It was considered imperative to issue an Act to outline the tasks and objectives of each of the departments that form the new ministry. For the reasons mentioned above, this Act has been issued.