Iraq lawmakers seek to revive revenue authority

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Iraq’s parliamentary Finance Committee met with Planning Minister Mohammed Tamim to discuss strategies for increasing non-oil revenues and reviving the Federal Revenue Allocation Authority.

The committee, led by Chairman Atwan Al-Atwani, emphasized a "clear discrepancy" in the estimation of non-oil revenues. Al-Atwani stated that amendments to the Federal Revenue Allocation Authority Law are necessary to accurately assess state asset investments and other revenue streams, which would improve financial planning.

"The committee is determined to activate this constitutional authority and expand its powers to fulfill its national responsibilities," Al-Atwani said, warning that halted project listings and funding delays could lead to a crisis of unfinished projects.

The meeting explored several proposals to enhance the authority’s role in reassessing revenue estimates and collection strategies. Discussions also covered financial entitlements for provinces, project funding challenges, and delays in announcing census results.

Minister Tamim confirmed that his ministry had finalized the 2025 budget tables and submitted them to the cabinet. He noted that while the budget does not include new projects, it does allocate funds for ongoing ones.

Regarding Iraq’s long-awaited population census, Tamim stated that the results are ready but are delayed due to pending data from the Kurdistan Region.