Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s telecom companies owe the government billions of dollars in unpaid dues – enough to fund half of public salaries, the parliamentary Communications Committee revealed on Sunday.

MP Zahir Shahid al-Fatlawi told Shafaq News that the operators reap huge profits with little oversight, urging the government to recover the money to strengthen non-oil revenues. The telecom sector, he added, is a vital part of Iraq’s economy that should contribute directly to the state budget.

Korek Telecom alone owes more than $1.3 billion, official data shows. Korek, Zain Iraq, and Asiacell each hold 15-year licenses worth $1.25 billion and must pay 18 percent of their revenues to the government.

Earlier this month, the Communications and Media Commission cut Korek’s internet services, triggering public backlash in the Kurdistan Region. Parliament’s Integrity Committee later said it would investigate all three firms over financial and service violations.

In March, the Cabinet approved creating a state-run “National Mobile Company” to roll out 5G services with Vodafone, alongside the Ministry of Communications, the National Retirement Authority, and the Iraqi Trade Bank.

Read more: Judicial freeze: Iraq's new national 5G carrier on hold