Iraq to complete reconstruction after budget is approved
The leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki, and the US Ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki, confirmed on Thursday that Iraq is preparing to complete the reconstruction process after the approval of the budget bill, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Al-Maliki met with the US Ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, where they discussed political and security developments in the country and the region, as well as cooperation between the two countries at the political, economic, and cultural levels.
The Iraqi politician explained that Iraq is preparing to complete the reconstruction process, especially after the approval of the federal budget, stressing the need to exert efforts to enhance political and economic stability in the country according to a comprehensive vision.
Al-Maliki emphasized the importance of carrying out projects in the health and housing sectors and supporting foreign investments, especially those of American companies, according to the Strategic Framework Agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington.
Romanowski asserted her country’s commitment to the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government, praising Al-Maliki’s role in developing relations between Iraq and the United States of America because of his influential presence in the country and the Iraqi political scene.
The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, approved on Wednesday the budget law after the Iraqi parliament passed the 198.9 trillion Iraqi dinar ($153 billion) budget for 2023 in mid-June.
The new budget includes record expenditures on an increasing government salary bill and development projects aimed at improving services and rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure.
The Iraqi parliament voted on the proposed federal budget law for Iraq for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The budget deficit is anticipated to be 64.36 trillion Iraqi dinars ($49.14 billion), a record high and more than quadruple the previous year’s deficit.
The Iraqi parliament approved a new article allocating 150 billion Iraqi dinars ($114.5 million) for the completion of Iraqi-Chinese projects.