Iraq passes $89 billion federal budget bill
The budget confronted issues of unemployment, currency devaluation and non-oil revenues and was passed as lawmakers prepare for October's general election; the challenge is implementation.
It took four months, six tries and many more delays before Iraq’s 2021 federal budget bill passed on March 31 after intensive negotiations.
The current bill seeks to address the country’s challenges over growing unemployment, delays in handing out salaries, pensions, rife corruption and plummeting oil prices. The government is now tasked with implementing the bill ahead of the country’s October elections.
“Having an imperfect budget is better than not having one,” said Bilal Wahab of The Washington Institute to Al-Monitor. “The COR (Council of Representatives) was initially reluctant to put a budget at Prime Minister [Mustafa al-] Kadhimi’s disposal, but doing so would have cost them dearly in an election year.”
How did we get here?
