Shafaq News / US Ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski divulged the content of her meeting with Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami. In a tweet, Romanowski stated that she convened with the Finance Minister to follow up on International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings held in Washington and to discuss the Iraqi government's budget for 2023.
She clarified that the US government supports social spending, investment in infrastructure, and long-term economic development to meet the needs of the Iraqi people. On Sunday, the Finance Ministry announced that Minister Taif Sami and US Ambassador Alina Romanowski had emphasized their support for governmental measures in the field of Iraqi banking reform, in addition to exploring the possibility of establishing long-term investment partnerships by fostering stable investment conditions in the Iraqi market.
In a related context, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, the First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives, chaired a meeting of the parliamentary Finance Committee, which hosted Finance Minister Taif Sami to discuss the draft law of the Federal General Budget.
During the meeting, Al-Mandalawi stressed the importance of expediting the completion of discussions and refining the project, noting that the Iraqi people from all walks of life are eagerly awaiting the budget's approval due to its direct impact on their lives and that no one would be excused in case of delay.
The First Deputy Speaker called for the identification of appropriate measures to overcome current obstacles and challenges, to expedite the budget's approval, emphasizing the necessity to ensure financial entitlements for those with special appointment degrees, and to increase the share of provinces to complete lagging and strategic projects.
The meeting also clarified the disbursement sections of the Emergency Support Law and confirmed the provision of detailed data on it to the Finance Committee. Discussions encompassed employee compensation, service supplies, grants and subsidies, social welfare, and domestic and foreign debts.
