Budget problems and other files.. The Parliamentary Finance Committee in an exclusive dialogue with the “Information” agency
Budget problems and other files.. The Parliamentary Finance Committee in an exclusive dialogue with the “Information” agency
5-6-2023
Information / Diyala..
The budget law in Iraq constitutes a strategic path to determine the priorities of financial disbursement and guarantee benefits and salaries for millions of different segments, whether employees or retirees, in addition to financing reconstruction and construction projects, but the 2023 budget is very different in its content and challenges. The most important obstacles to the current year budget and other files.
Q/ What are the most prominent challenges of the 2023 budget?
A/ The challenges are numerous, but they can be summed up in 3 main points: the financial deficit, which amounted to more than 60 trillion dinars, in addition to the loan file and ways to reduce it, and the price of a barrel of oil, which was set at $70 per barrel for a budget that is for three consecutive years, despite market fluctuations, which necessitates consideration. Consideration seeking to reduce the fiscal deficit as much as possible.
Q: What are your efforts to address the crisis of regional development in the current year’s budget?
C/ The 2023 budget has set only 2.5 trillion dinars for the regional development budget, which is concerned with financing service projects in all governorates, and it is the most important thing. Perhaps more to be in a position to support ongoing provincial projects and fund direct new ones.
Q/ What are the most important goals that the Finance Committee seeks in the 2023 budget?
C/ The economy of Iraq is rentier, that is, it depends by up to 95% on the sale of oil to finance its public treasury. This is a strategic mistake that most countries in the world realized and began to adopt a strategy of diversifying sources of income years ago to move away from any financial vibrations caused by the oil market, which is living in an unstable stage due to price fluctuations, so The most important goals that we seek are increasing non-oil revenues in the country’s budget, opening up to the private sector, and ensuring real treatment of some financing windows in order to raise any suspicions of corruption to pump money into the country’s treasury.
Q/ Do you support the survival of elite forces after the end of the imposition of law plan in Diyala, as they are a representative of the province?
A/ The Imposition of Law plan, which has been going on since March 9, has achieved important results in terms of reducing the danger of terrorism and organized crime, and has given positive messages to public opinion. We hope that it will be completed by arresting all those involved in the shedding of Iraqi blood in the crimes of Khalis, Baquba and Muqdadiya. But the important thing is the necessity for the elite forces to remain. In Diyala, until after the elections at the end of next December 2023, in order to give more sense of reassurance about the general security scene.
Q: Are there any new developments in the compensation file?
A/ Our recent meeting with the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, bore good results after his support for an action plan that we presented on the compensation file for the liberated areas by addressing some points that impede the speedy granting of compensation to the affected families. There are direct directives issued to the Ministry of Finance regarding flexibility in dealing with the Diyala file due to its specificity and importance. This file was resolved quickly.”
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