Iraqi writer argues non-oil revenues could exceed 100 trillion dinars annually

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Writer Issam Hussein al-Hadithi has argued that the widely held view of Iraq as 90% dependent on oil exports does not reflect the country's full revenue base, according to a published article. He said domestic sales of petroleum products such as gasoline, gas and fuel oil generate around 40 trillion dinars a year, while the Ministry of Electricity's 2024 collections reached 26.5 trillion dinars. Al-Hadithi placed Baghdad Municipality's annual revenue at 9 trillion dinars, airspace overflight fees at no less than 2 trillion dinars, and General Traffic Directorate collections at roughly half a trillion dinars. He listed additional income streams including passport, civil status and national ID services, customs and border crossings, direct and indirect taxes, airports and ports, state-owned real estate, hospitals and educational institutions, property registration and telecommunications companies. He maintained that combining these categories could push total annual domestic revenue above 100 trillion dinars. Al-Hadithi added that, with transparent management, the resources could underwrite a major development push, though he did not provide a detailed methodology or cite official confirmation of the figures.