Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Finance Ministry would become the leading sovereign ministry in Iraq and a central institution for managing and developing the national economy, Faleh Sari, the National Wisdom (Al-Hikma) Movement nominee for Iraq’s finance minister position, vowed on Thursday.

In a recorded statement published on social media ahead of the anticipated parliamentary vote on Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi’s cabinet, Sari said the rights of public employees, contract workers, and farmers were “guaranteed,” adding that the ministry would work to secure their financial entitlements.

He stressed that the Finance Ministry should not function merely as “an office for salary distribution,” but as a sovereign economic institution contributing to Iraq’s economic growth. The nominee also rejected separating ministries from the Finance Ministry, saying all institutions should remain linked to it within a unified administrative system.

“The ministry would rely on digital transformation and automation during the next phase to become a ministry serving all Iraqis.”

Sari noted that he plans to establish a dedicated team to receive requests and address public complaints, while opening communication channels with citizens through members of parliament. He also called on Iraq’s parliament and its finance committee to support legislative reforms and amendments aimed at addressing the country’s current financial challenges.

Iraq’s parliament is expected to vote later in the day on the cabinet proposed by Al-Zaidi. President Nizar Amedi tasked Al-Zaidi with forming a new government on April 27, 2026, succeeding former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.