Iraq's finance minister directs departments to complete technical requirements for 2027 budget

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Finance Minister Falah Sari has instructed government departments to finalize the technical requirements needed to prepare the country's 2027 general budget, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. The minister visited the ministry's Budget Department to review the drafting process for the program and performance budget, meeting with teams working on the draft and receiving updates on completed stages and outstanding technical needs. The statement stressed the importance of intensifying work in the coming period and ensuring that teams move forward in a coordinated manner. Sari said coordination with ministries and state institutions would continue in order to organize and verify financial data. According to the ministry, the transition to a program and performance-based budget requires joint work and continuous coordination among the relevant parties to tie resource allocation to programs, targets and outcomes. The ministry added that all departments must prepare the necessary technical infrastructure on time to complete the drafting process. No further details on the budget timeline were immediately available.