Sudani: Spending has increased significantly due to the budget deficit in Iraq
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani acknowledged on Friday the increase in the rate of government spending compared to the deficit in the country’s general budget.
His remarks came during a meeting with a group of tribal sheikhs, religious figures, dignitaries, and academic and social elites from areas and neighborhoods south of the capital, Baghdad.
During the meeting, Al-Sudani said that “oil cannot be relied upon as the sole source of income in the long term, because it is subject to price fluctuations and events in the region.”
He pointed out that “spending has increased significantly in light of the budget deficit that was approved by the House of Representatives, and some are deliberately misleading public opinion for their own purposes.”
Al-Sudani also pointed out that “the amount of state spending in 2024 was 150 trillion dinars out of a budget of 220 trillion dinars.”
He stressed that the Iraqi federal government is “keen to implement reforms in various sectors, provided that they do not affect citizens with limited income.”
The Prime Minister continued, saying: We inherited (2582) stalled projects, some of which date back to 2005 and are worth (131) trillion dinars.
Al-Sudani continued, saying that the government he currently heads “has outlined the features of Iraq’s foreign policies and relations, based on the exchange of mutual benefit and common interests and the preservation of sovereignty.”
Shafaq.com