Al-Anbar recalls for release of border crossing revenues
Shafaq News- Al-Anbar
Al-Anbar local government on Saturday renewed its call for the federal government to release the province's share of border crossing revenues, saying it has yet to receive any budget allocations this year despite contributing hundreds of billions of Iraqi dinars to the state treasury.
Moayad Al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for the Al-Anbar provincial government, told Shafaq News that the province's border crossings generated about IQD 91 billion (approximately $69.5 million) in revenue for the federal budget in May alone, with June revenues expected to exceed IQD 100 billion (about $76.3 million).
He clarified that the province's three main border crossings handled significant trade activity, “with around 3,000 trucks crossing in both directions, reflecting a steady increase in commercial traffic.” Despite these revenues, Al-Dulaimi said Al-Anbar has not received "a single dinar" from the federal budget since the beginning of the year, resulting in a liquidity shortage and the suspension of several public service and infrastructure projects.
Under Iraq's revenue-sharing mechanism, Al-Anbar is entitled to 50% of the proceeds from its border crossings. Based on May's revenues, the province is owed approximately IQD 45 billion (around $34.4 million), while its expected share for June is IQD 50 billion (about $38.2 million).
Economic analyst Ahmed Al-Karbouli noted that the province's border crossing revenues represent a “key source of funding that could accelerate local development if managed efficiently under a clear investment strategy.”
He argued that allocating Al-Anbar's share would help restart stalled infrastructure projects, upgrade roads and bridges, improve water, electricity, healthcare, and education services, and provide sustainable funding for municipalities and other essential public services. “Al-Anbar's strategic location as Iraq's western trade gateway gives it the potential to become a regional logistics and commercial hub,” he indicated, highlighting that reinvesting part of the revenues in modern warehousing facilities, industrial zones, and logistics centers, “would stimulate economic activity and create new jobs.”
A stable flow of locally generated revenues would enable provincial authorities to prepare more realistic budgets, reduce dependence on federal funding, and improve the investment climate through transparent financial oversight and targeted spending on priority projects, Al-Karbouli said.
