Iraqi lawmaker denies claim that public salaries will shift to 45-day cycle

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A member of the Iraqi Parliament's Legal Committee on Friday rejected reports that public-sector salaries would be paid every 45 days, saying the monthly wage entitlement of state employees remains unchanged. Committee member Mohammed Jasim al-Haffaci, speaking to the official gazette, attributed delays in salary payments to the country's financial crisis and stressed that no change had been made to workers' monthly pay rights. Al-Haffaci said the committee will in the coming days submit a proposal to reduce and reorganize the salaries of the presidency and the offices of the president and prime minister. He argued that reform should begin at the top, starting with ministers and directors general, before extending to other employees. Some government departments have yet to distribute salaries because of financial instability, al-Haffaci said, but this does not alter employees' right to monthly payment. He added that resolving the financial crisis does not require new legislation, but rather a halt to waste and corruption in state institutions. The lawmaker said fairer pay scales could close the gap between low and high salaries within the public sector. He also noted that boosting non-oil revenues would support the economy, though such income would not fully replace oil revenues.