Iraqi MP says parliament and government agree to split salary, promotion rules from annual budget law

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A member of the Iraqi parliament’s Finance Committee said lawmakers and the government have reached an agreement to remove administrative issues such as salary increases, promotions, loans, extended leave and land files from the general budget law and place them in separate, permanent legislation. Speaking to the Official Gazette, Ribwar Karim said the change would leave the budget focused solely on financial items and investment projects, in line with the government’s stated goal of moving from a line-item to a program-based budget. Karim said the committee is prepared to review any bills the government submits and, if needed, draft the legislation itself. He added that issues including salary raises, promotions, the civil service law and the salary scale will be handled in line with current requirements. The lawmaker noted that the files in question require extensive discussions between the legislature and the executive, and that restructuring the legal framework will allow the budget to be approved more quickly. He said the process is being carried out as part of a broader reform vision, without providing further details.