A parliamentary committee demands collecting debts from mobile phone companies

Shafaq News / The Parliamentary Services Committee called on the Iraqi government to expedite the collection of debts owed by mobile phone companies to address the financial deficit, renewing its call to establish national telecommunications companies to meet the economic crises.

Committee member Manar Abdul-Muttalib Al-Shdidi told Shafaq News agency that the committee submitted a proposal to the government to meet the debts of mobile phone companies (Asia, Atheer and Korek), which exceed $7 billion, to address the financial deficit crisis and secure the salaries of the employees and basic expenses.

Al-Shadidi confirmed that mobile phone companies' debts spare the country from the borrowing law and its negative consequences for the economic situation, reiterating its committee's call to establish government telecommunication companies to supplement the state treasury with financial revenues that compensate for the large deficit due to the decline and fall in oil prices.

"Even if the mobile companies fulfill their debts to the government, establishing national telecommunications companies that supply the treasury with revenues that compensate for the financial losses and the drop in oil prices," she said.

On the seventh of last July, the Iraqi government announced renewing the licenses of the mobile phone companies for an additional five years in exchange for paying 50% of their debts and launching the fourth generation 4G service, which aroused the anger and resentment of the parliamentary and popular circles.

Against the background of the judicial complaints, the Iraqi judiciary issued a state order that it is illegal to renew the licenses of the three companies.