Iraq's Acting Parliament speaker denies secret additions to 2024 budget

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Acting Parliament Speaker, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, refuted claims on Wednesday regarding the alleged addition of 8 trillion dinars (about $6 billion) to the 2024 budget without specifying its allocation. This comes after reports circulating on local outlets and social media platforms raised concerns over the integrity of the budget process.

In a statement, Al-Mandalawi clarified, "The budget tables approved by Parliament are identical to those sent by the Cabinet and returned as per Parliamentary Decision No. 64, without any alterations, emphasizing that "the Parliament's leadership has established a high-level committee to investigate the raised concerns and uncover the truth behind the matter."

Al-Mandalawi further explained that during the 27th session of Parliament, held on June 3, 2024, lawmakers approved the estimated figures for the 2024 Federal General Budget Law and its annexes—Tables A through F and the deficit financing table—precisely as submitted by the Cabinet. He noted that the Cabinet was granted the authority to reallocate 2 trillion dinars in budgetary allocations for governorates outside the Kurdistan Region, to be distributed based on population and poverty rates.

The Acting Speaker sternly warned, "Any entity attempting to mislead public opinion by concealing facts or distorting events for unlawful purposes will face legal accountability. The principles of impartiality and objectivity in reporting must be upheld."

In June 2023, Iraq passed a three-year budget that included a record $152 billion in spending, of which the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region's share is 12.6 percent.

In May, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani unveiled the country's 2024 budget on Sunday, allocating 211 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $162 billion) for total expenditures.