Iraq’s non-oil revenues hit nearly $9B

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq’s non-oil revenues have reached about 13 trillion dinars ($8.9B) but still fall well short of its economic capacity, lawmaker Shaimaa Abdul Sattar Al-Fatlawi said on Sunday.

Al-Fatlawi, a member of the National Al-Nahj (Approach) bloc, told Shafaq News that the total includes 2.5 trillion dinars ($1.7B) from direct taxes, 3.5 trillion dinars ($2.4B) from additional tax-related income, and 7 trillion dinars ($4.8B) from fees and other charges, describing the figures as inconsistent with Iraq’s scale of investment, trade, and agricultural activity.

Identifying the housing sector as a major missed revenue source, she noted that investment companies held around 200,000 residential units in 2024 with an average value of 70 million dinars ($47.8K) each. A 15% levy on those properties alone, Al-Fatlawi estimated, could yield nearly 7 trillion dinars, excluding private universities, hospitals, and large commercial projects.

She blamed the shortfall on weak enforcement and ineffective digital tax systems, calling for staff rotation, tighter oversight, and a comprehensive review of collection mechanisms.

Her comments come as lawmakers began gathering signatures on Saturday to overturn the caretaker cabinet’s Decision No. 97 of 2025 on new tax measures, arguing it violates Article 28 of the constitution and the Customs Tariff Law by imposing or changing duties without parliamentary approval.

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