Iraqi government calls on Parliament to approve general budget
The Iraqi Parliament. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi government called on the Parliament on Sunday to approve the country’s general budget as soon as possible.
“As the Parliament is getting ready to discuss the draft federal budget law, the government renews its confidence in the Parliament and the MPs’ appreciation for the circumstances our country is going through and the urgent need to expedite the approval of the budget, to be implemented as soon as possible,” the spokesperson for the Iraqi government, Basem Al-Awadi, said.
Al-Awadi added that the Parliament is aware of the development and strategic projects included in the budget.
“Therefore, the government calls on the Parliament and the political forces to intensify their efforts to approve the budget, because of the direct impact on the needs of Iraqi citizens,” Al-Awadi explained.
The Iraqi official stressed that the government is fully convinced of the bases of the new budget, and therefore, it finds it necessary to draw the attention of the Parliament to the importance of keeping the budget for three years.
Al-Awadi explained that the government cannot continue its program without the flexibility given by three years to cover strategic projects related to important infrastructure.
The Iraqi government’s spokesperson renewed the Prime Minister’s readiness to go to the Parliament to answer all the inquiries of MPs regarding the draft budget.
The Iraqi government announced on March 16 it handed over the draft financial budget law for a period of three years to the Parliament.
During its session on March 13, the Iraqi government approved the draft federal budget law for the fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025, and referred it to the parliament.
Following the cabinet’s session on March 13, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, stressed that the government is keen to ensure that the federal budget reflects the government’s program that the Iraqi Parliament voted on.
Al-Sudani clarified that this budget will be repeated for three years, according to the Financial Management Law, which authorized the Council of Ministers to present a budget for three years, and that the Ministries of Finance and Planning can make amendments with the approval of the Parliament in case numbers, oil prices or quantities changed.