MPs upset about not presenting the budget: We fear behind-the-scenes agreements

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[size=52]MPs upset about not presenting the budget: We fear behind-the-scenes agreements[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Firas Adnan[/size]
[size=45]Representatives expressed their annoyance that the Presidency of Parliament withheld the draft budget law from them and did not present it for the first reading until the present time, despite the passage of more than two weeks since its arrival from the government, calling for its speedy presentation in order to conduct discussions on it and reduce the value of the deficit.[/size]
[size=45]Representative Sahar Al-Saadi said, "Many deputies were hoping to include the budget in the parliament's agenda to complete the first reading before proceeding with voting on the election law."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadi continued, "The large blocs preferred the election law over the budget," pointing out that "the priority was supposed to be for the budget over laws that involve differences between the political forces."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "Parliament was preoccupied with the election law, and it left negative effects that we saw in the session in which it was voted on."[/size]
[size=45]And Al-Saadi said, "All members of Parliament will speed up presenting the law for the first reading and then voting on it."[/size]
[size=45]He noted, "The oil-producing governorates find that making the law for three years is positive, because this leads to the stability of financial transactions, and getting rid of the complex of budget delays every year."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "The budget for this year carried financial expenditures of 199 trillion dinars, with revenues amounting to 134 trillion, 112 trillion for oil production, and the rest for other revenues such as border crossings, taxes and customs."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadi noted, "Basra requests the federal government 18 trillion dinars, and we call for allocation in the budget, for the petrodollar project as an oil producer."[/size]
[size=45]And he talked about "an agreement between the political forces aligned within the State Administration coalition before the budget reached the House of Representatives."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadi explained, "The representatives are afraid of political deals at the expense of the rights of the Iraqi people, that the budget will be proceeded in exchange for passing other laws, as is currently being talked about with regard to the oil and gas law and the general amnesty law."[/size]
[size=45]And he stressed, "The budget includes a deficit of 63 trillion dinars," explaining that "the government has given the Minister of Finance full authorization to address the deficit by issuing remittances, external bonds, internal bonds, and internal borrowing."[/size]
[size=45]And Al-Saadi stated, "The Finance Committee, during the discussions, will work to reduce operating expenses in order to reduce the deficit gap, through rotation and transfer."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The budget law came in the amount of 70 dollars, with a daily production of 3,500,000 barrels, and this will generate a surplus that addresses part of the deficit."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadi went on to say that “making the budget for three years is consistent with the amended Federal Financial Management Law No. 6 of 2019, and the first year will be binding on the government, and the second and third years there is a possibility to amend it with a proposal from the Council of Ministers and it will be approved in Parliament in the form of a law.”[/size]
[size=45]In addition, Representative Moein Al-Kazemi stated, “The dispute exists within Parliament regarding the age of the budget, as there are those who support the government’s approach, and others who want it for one year.”[/size]
[size=45]And Al-Kadhimi continued, "This issue will be resolved next week when the project is referred from the office of the Speaker of Parliament to the Finance Committee, after it was presented for the first reading in Parliament."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "The differences over the budget are on their way to fading, especially with the understandings between the federal government and the Kurdistan region and the frequent visits to Baghdad."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Kazemi noted, "The large deficit contained in the budget law has begun to worry most of the deputies who are waiting for the start of discussions in order to work to reduce it, because we may reach a stage in which we cannot bridge the deficit, especially for the second and third years, if the budget is approved for three years."[/size]
[size=45]And he added, "The Iraqi constitution gives the parliament two powers over the first budget to reduce the total amounts or transfers, which we will work on in order to reduce the value of the deficit."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Kazemi ruled out that "Parliament should work to increase the budget amounts, because the financial situation does not allow, and that requires the presence of a necessary case, with the approval of the government."[/size]
[size=45]For his part, Representative Hassan Al-Asadi stated, "The representatives did not officially see the draft budget law sent by the government."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Asadi continued, "The Presidency of Parliament, in turn, did not inform us of the date of the first reading and the date on which the project will be included on the agenda."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "The representatives are heading towards expediting the approval of the budget because of the great importance it carries, being in direct contact with the Iraqi street," stressing that "Parliament will review the law and discussions will take place on all paragraphs in order to match it with the ministerial platform that was voted on." In conjunction with granting confidence to the government of Muhammad Shia al-Sudani.[/size]
[size=45]And between Al-Asadi, "The most correct opinion at the present time is that we finish all discussions during the current month of Ramadan so that we can pass the law before the Eid holiday."[/size]
[size=45]The Council of Ministers had voted on the fourteenth of this month on the draft budget law for three years, confirming its referral to Parliament for approval.[/size]
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