Shafaq News– Basra

Basra Provincial Council said on Thursday that the province has not received its full financial entitlements for three consecutive federal budgets, warning that the delays are now directly affecting public services and construction projects.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Baydaa Al-Nahi, head of the council’s Financial Oversight and Allocations Committee, said Basra received only 47% of its 2023 budget and 37% of its 2024 allocation, while no funds have been released from the 2025 budget so far. “Basra’s budget allocations are a constitutional right that cannot be delayed or manipulated.”

Despite official estimates placing Basra’s annual share at more than 2.1 trillion dinars (about $1.42 billion), local sources told Shafaq News that the actual allocations fall far short, averaging about 800 billion dinars per year under the three-year (2023–2025) budget.

Regarding taking legal steps against this delay, Al-Nahi revealed that the local government is considering filing lawsuits with the Federal Supreme Court against the Prime Minister’s Office and the Iraqi Parliament if the issue remains unresolved, noting that officials are awaiting the formation of a new government to settle the matter.

According to Al-Nahi, the failure to disburse funds has begun to affect infrastructure and service projects across the province, forcing local authorities to rely on temporary measures to keep work moving and avoid project stoppages.

She added that “mutual trust between contractors and the Basra governor” has encouraged companies to continue working despite delayed payments, but hundreds of billions of Iraqi dinars have accumulated as debts owed by the local government to contractors. She cautioned that the situation could lead to serious economic and service repercussions if the crisis persists without urgent solutions.

On Wednesday, the presidency of the Iraqi Parliament held a meeting with heads of provincial councils to discuss challenges facing local administrations, particularly issues related to financial allocations and disputes over authorities with some ministries.

Several Iraqi provinces, including Erbil and Babil, have complained of delays in receiving their budget shares in 2025, a situation that has disrupted service delivery, stalled projects, and limited their ability to pay outstanding dues to contractors.