Iraqi government to put cap on number of advisers under financial strain

BAGHDAD, Iraq- The Iraqi government is trying to put a cap on hiring advisors and consultants as it grapples with a financial crisis.

Currently more than 550 advisors are paid by the government in various capacities and receive between one to two million Iraqi dinars a month each in salary, according to former Iraqi Deputy Finance Minister, Fazil Nabi.

Now the government wants to limit this trend which was promoted and many people were hired by previous cabinets.

“The number of advisors for any of the Council of Ministers and parliament shouldn’t exceed 6. Thus, the total number of advisors of all three presidencies is fewer than 20,” Article 1 of the law on the regulation of advisors’ work states.

“These advisors have put too much strain on the Iraqi budget,” Ahmed Haji Rashid, Director of the Finance Committee of the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw.

“The presidency has nearly 23 advisors, the Iraqi parliament 11, the office of the Chief of Staff of the Council of Ministers 4, presidency of the Council of Ministers 13, and Haider al Abadi 5,” Rashid revealed.

The law stipulates that a ministry cannot have more than three advisors.

“These advisors are the heaviest burden on the Iraqi government, which is why a law on regulating the advisors’ work was approved by the parliament with academic conditions made difficult,” Zana Rostaye, member of the Iraqi parliament’s Finance Committee, told Rudaw.

According to Abadi’s reform decree 333, ministers can’t have advisors. But many MPs doubt that the law on regulating advisors’ work is being implemented.

“There are advisors who have exploited their position to repress and spy on people, like the position of the Iraqi National Security. That is why it’s impossible for Abadi’s reform laws and legislation on the regulation of advisors to be implemented,” Mashaan Jiburi, MP on the Integrity Commission told Rudaw.

“Most of these appointed advisors are relatives and friends of the authorities. Some of them don’t even have degrees,” he added.

The law will close a door on corruption, Rostaye believes. “In the past, the prime minster was at liberty to appoint people as they wished. The Council of Ministers has nearly 70 advisors.”

According to some MPs, some of these advisors practice ministerial powers. For example, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has given the power to his advisors to make contracts and supervise some committees.

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