Iraq's 2026 budget to be ‘difficult and complex’: MP

Iraq is preparing for a challenging 2026 budget after ending 2025 without approving a spending plan and facing falling oil prices. Lawmakers and experts told The New Region that the government must control spending, protect salaries, and diversify revenues to avoid liquidity problems next year.

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Iraq’s public sector salaries at risk amid falling oil prices

An Iraqi economist warned that public sector salaries could face serious risk if oil prices continue to fall, as Iraq remains heavily dependent on oil revenues.

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Iraq preparing 2026 budget before completing 2025 accounts 'an unsound step': Lawmaker

Moeen al-Kadhimi, a member of Iraq’s Parliamentary Finance Committee, told The New Region that "talking about a new budget is unrealistic when there are no final accounts for this year."

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Iraq begins preparing 2026 budget: Government advisor

The last time Iraq passed a budget bill was in June 2023 when the parliament approved a three-year budget

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Erbil-Baghdad financial crisis may ‘soon’ be resolved: PM Barzani

Speaking at a press conference in Erbil, Prime Minister Barzani said Erbil and Baghdad may reach “a very positive resolution” to put an end to the budget suspension. 

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KRG official slams Khazali’s remarks against Erbil as ‘foolish’ 

A KRG official slammed as “foolish" recent remarks by Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of the Iran-backed Asaib al-Haq (AAH), after he blamed Erbil for ongoing salary issues with Baghdad and cited inaccurate data against the Kurdistan Region.

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Seven Iraqi entities consumed 93% of salary budget between 2019 and 2024: Economist

An Iraqi economist reported that seven government entities received 93 percent of Iraq’s central salary budget from 2019 to 2024, with total salary spending rising by 48 percent in that period.

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Iraqi lawmaker says finance minister’s decision to cut Kurdistan salaries ‘illegal’

Rebwar Hadi, head of Iraq’s parliamentary legal committee, called Finance Minister Taif Sami’s decision to halt salary payments to Kurdistan Region employees  "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

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Iraqi PM, president stress ‘radical solutions’ to Erbil-Baghdad funding dispute

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and President Abdul Latif Rashid emphasized the need to find constitutional solutions to the ongoing budget dispute between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region.

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