Shafaq News- Baghdad

A proposal to double the basic salary paid to Iraqi public employees during long-term leave from 50% to 100% has raised financial and legal concerns over the cost to the state, the fate of reserved posts, and how such periods would count toward service and pensions.

Parliament’s Legal Committee has agreed to the increase as lawmakers consider legislation allowing public employees to take extended leave and work in the private sector, committee member Mohammed Jassim Al-Khafaji told Shafaq News, clarifying that it would also set the duration of leave and regulate employment outside government institutions, job protections, and pension entitlements.

“The aim is to give employees an opportunity to benefit from their experience and capabilities during the leave period while preserving their employment status under regulations to be defined by law.”

The increase, Al-Khafaji noted, remains under parliamentary consideration and could change before a final vote.

Financial And Legal Concerns

Speaking to Shafaq News, legal expert Haider Anis Al-Rubaie warned that paying the full basic salary to employees who are not providing government services would add to pressure on public finances. He urged lawmakers to assess the number of potential beneficiaries, the expected Treasury cost, and the long-term pension implications before expanding the benefit.

Al-Rubaie also questioned whether posts should remain reserved for employees absent for several years, potentially limiting the state’s ability to address staffing shortages, arguing, “Public employment is not merely a financial position, but a responsibility linked to providing services to citizens.”

He considered extended leave a possible component of administrative reform but cautioned that any system should avoid restricting opportunities for job seekers or preventing public institutions from filling vacancies.

Economic monitor Eco Iraq separately called for the proposal’s total financial cost to be determined before approval, pointing to the country’s already high recurrent spending.

What The Proposal Allows

Parliament has completed the first reading of a Finance Committee version allowing employees with at least one year of service to take leave for five years or longer while receiving 50% of their basic salary, or unpaid leave for at least six months.

Beneficiaries could work in the private sector and have the period counted toward retirement by paying the required pension contributions. Contract employees would also qualify and could complete their remaining terms after returning.

The Legal Committee’s proposed 100% rate would double the payment contained in the version that passed its first reading.

Employee Concerns

Government employees interviewed by Shafaq News focused largely on their status after returning to public service. Ali Hamed viewed the full payment as useful for those facing personal circumstances or seeking experience in the private sector but called for safeguards covering promotions, reinstatement, and career progression.

Sundus Jalil also welcomed the higher rate, while stressing that employees taking several years of leave need clearly defined rights and obligations.