Baghdad // Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi announced the removal of 11 cabinet posts on Sunday in the first concrete step of a reform drive aimed at curbing corruption and streamlining the government.
Mr Al Abadi scrapped three deputy premier positions and four ministries, and merged four more ministries with others, a statement from his office said, reducing the size of the cabinet by a third.
He removed the human rights ministry, the ministry of state for women’s affairs, the ministry of state for provincial and parliamentary affairs, and a third ministry of state.
And he merged the science and technology ministry with higher education, environment with health, municipalities with reconstruction and housing, and tourism and antiquities with culture.
Mr Al Abadi rolled out a reform plan on August 9 in response to weeks of protests and a call from the country’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, and parliament approved the programme along with additional measures two days later.
Ayatollah Al Sistani, who is revered by millions of Shiites, then called for judicial reform on Friday, and Mr Al Abadi echoed that call later in the day.
One of the most drastic of the prime minister’s proposals was the elimination of the vice president and deputy premier posts.
While Mr Al Abadi may be able to do away with the deputy premiers, the constitution would need to be amended to fully eliminate the post of vice president – something unlikely to happen at this time.
Amid a major heatwave that has seen temperatures top 50°C, protesters have railed against the poor quality of services, especially power outages that leave just a few hours of government-supplied electricity per day.
Thousands of people have turned out in Baghdad and cities in the Shiite south to vent their anger and pressure the authorities to make changes.
Their demands were given a boost last week when Mr Al Sistani called for the prime minister to take “drastic measures” against corruption, saying the “minor steps” he had announced were not enough.
Various parties and politicians have sought to align themselves with the protesters apparently to benefit from the movement and mitigate the risk to themselves.
Even with popular support for change, the entrenched nature of corruption and the fact that parties across the political spectrum benefit from it will make any efforts extremely difficult.
Mr Al Abadi warned last Wednesday that the reform process “will not be easy; it will be painful,” and that corrupt individuals would seek to impede change.
* Agence France-Presse
When is VAR used?
• Goals
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
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Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
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Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
'O'
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Name: Peter Dicce
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Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
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6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
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6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
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2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
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Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
