Iraqi lawmaker criticizes government's budget law submission, calls for revisions

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Finance Committee, raised concerns over legal and constitutional violations in the government's submission of the 2023 federal budget law to the legislature.

In an interview with Shafaq News, Mustafa al-Karawi highlighted discrepancies in the submission process, noting that “Article 77, Section 2 of the 2023 federal budget law (the three-years budget law) mandates the Cabinet to submit the budget tables before the end of the fiscal year. However, only one amendment—regarding the cost of oil extraction in the Kurdistan Region—was submitted, rather than the complete set of required budget tables.”

"This failure to submit the tables on time constitutes a legal and constitutional violation," al-Karawi said. "Moreover, if the government proceeds with amendments to specific provisions, there are numerous items that require revision to address injustices and ensure fairness for various segments of society."

During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, al-Karawi stressed that the committee had noted these concerns during the first reading of the amended budget law, confirming that they are working to amend the budget law, which will then be sent back to the government for a comprehensive revision that aims to better serve the needs of the entire population and address the issues in the previous budget.