No Budget, No Answers: Iraq's 2025 financial plan still missing
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government has yet to submit the 2025 budget tables to parliament, prompting criticism from the Parliamentary Finance Committee, which described the delay on Tuesday as 'unexplained.'
Committee member Saad al-Noubi said both Planning Minister Mohammed Tamim and Finance Minister Taif Sami had previously told lawmakers the tables had been sent to the Cabinet. 'But until now, nothing has arrived,' he told Shafaq News, calling the delay a 'clear challenge' to the legislature.
The documents were expected before the end of March, in line with Iraq's three-year federal budget covering 2023 to 2025. Al-Noubi said the committee had requested clarification from the ministers but received no reply.
The absence of the budget tables has raised concerns over potential disruptions to public spending, including public sector salaries and regional allocations, particularly to the Kurdistan Region. Without parliamentary approval, planned expenditures for 2025 remain on hold.
Iraq faces mounting economic pressures and political friction between branches of government, with lawmakers warning that further postponement could strain fiscal planning and service delivery.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Iraqi News
28 minutes ago
- Iraqi News
Iraqi PM receives Lebanese president in Baghdad
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, received on Sunday the Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, upon his arrival in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The two sides are holding official discussions on strategies to enhance Iraqi-Lebanese ties in different areas, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The two leaders are also reviewing the situation in the region, as well as prospects to improve regional and international security and stability. Al-Sudani and Aoun discussed approaches to strengthen Iraq-Lebanon's constructive collaboration, improve economic integration, and promote possibilities for positive interactions between the two countries' public and private sectors. Al-Sudani reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to assisting Lebanon, building its state institutions, and rejecting any attack on its sovereignty or foreign intervention that undermines its independence. The Iraqi prime minister also noted Iraq's continuing support to help Lebanon overcome current obstacles. Aoun expressed appreciation for Iraq's attitudes toward Lebanon, particularly in light of the terrible conditions that the Lebanese people face. The Lebanese president lauded Iraq's role in strengthening Lebanon's ability to face diverse difficulties, its support for Lebanon's stability, and its efforts to broaden cooperation to benefit the people of both countries.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Gold declines in Baghdad, climbs in Erbil
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, gold prices fell in Baghdad while inching up in Erbil. According to a Shafaq News survey, prices in Baghdad's wholesale markets on Al-Nahr Street registered a selling price for a 21-carat per mithqal (equivalent to 4.25 grams) of Gulf, Turkish, and European gold of 653,000 IQD, and a buying price of 649,000 IQD—down from 658,000 IQD recorded Saturday. Iraqi 21-carat gold was selling for 623,000 IQD per mithqal and buying for 619,000 IQD. In local jewelry shops, the price of a 21-carat mithqal of Gulf gold ranged between 655,000 and 666,000 IQD, while the price of Iraqi gold ranged from 625,000 to 635,000 IQD.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Watchdog: Iraq elections see rise in divisive rhetoric
Shafaq News/ Sectarian and ethnic rhetoric is escalating ahead of Iraq's 11 November parliamentary elections, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) cautioned on Sunday, accusing political factions and media outlets of fueling division instead of promoting meaningful policy debate. In a statement, the IOHR highlighted a surge in identity-based messaging—sectarian, ethnic, and regional—circulating through campaigns and social media. It criticized candidates and their influencers for prioritizing identity politics over qualifications, public service, or reform agendas. Inflammatory language, once limited to the political fringe, now dominates mainstream discourse, according to the IOHR's Asber Center for Information Auditors. 'Social media platforms have become key battlegrounds for this divisive discourse,' the center reported, pointing to orchestrated disinformation campaigns—often run through fake accounts—that target specific communities with misleading, provocative content. The observatory condemned political speeches for amplifying exclusionary rhetoric, particularly against Kurds, minorities, and regional groups, noting that collective trauma and historic grievances are being weaponized to manipulate sentiment and drive identity-based voting. 'New candidates who sidestep programmatic engagement, [are] instead marketing themselves as guardians of 'the component,' 'the region,' or 'a persecuted history,'' the report warned, calling this trend one of the most dangerous developments in Iraq's political environment.
