The Parliamentary Finance Committee revealed its vision to address the deficit in the draft federal budget law, expecting a delay in the final vote on the law.

Committee member, MP Jamal Kougar, stated, in a statement to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), that “the vote on the general budget will be delayed until the end of next May, when there will be joint meetings and seminars in which ministers and governors will be hosted by the Finance Committee.”

He added, “The deficit rate in the general budget will inevitably be reduced, after checking all the numbers with the concerned authorities, to reach the required reduction.”

He explained, “Reducing the deficit is one of the exclusive powers of the House of Representatives, which is” the reduction, transfer, and addition of paragraphs that are not subject to a financial commission.”

He added, “We can work on adding paragraphs to cancel some expenditures, add paragraphs to enhance other resources, and add paragraphs that will reduce the deficit rate,” noting that “even if the revenues are large, the deficit rate will decrease automatically, and if the revenues are few, we will inevitably go to cancel some paragraphs in the original budget.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency