Iraq’s 2025 budget tables: No official confirmation on submission to Cabinet

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Parliamentary Finance Committee has yet to receive confirmation on whether the Ministry of Finance has submitted the 2025 budget tables to the Council of Ministers, committee member Hussain Mouanes said on Sunday.

Speaking with Shafaq News Agency, Mouanes criticized the delay, calling it “a violation of the Financial Management Law and an obstruction of parliament’s oversight role.” He emphasized the need for the government to follow legal and constitutional procedures, noting that lawmakers have not been formally notified of a submission date.

The Ministry of Finance was originally expected to submit the budget tables in October 2024 to allow for timely approval before the new fiscal year. However, the process has been delayed, raising concerns over financial planning and execution.

The Financial and Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, Mudher Mohammad Saleh, had earlier revealed to our agency that a governmental-parliamentary understanding exists regarding Iraq’s 2025 budget.

In June 2023, the Iraqi Parliament approved the draft General Budget Law for the fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025.

However, the 2025 budget has yet to be approved due to disagreements between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government over Regional oil and other unresolved issues. To address this, the Parliament voted in February to amend Article 12 of the law, which pertains to the costs of extracting oil from the Region.