Iraq’s Babil reclaims withheld local revenues

Shafaq News– Babil

Babil Provincial Council criticized on Wednesday the Iraqi government for “failing” to return revenues collected from traffic, taxes, and other local departments in a way that meets the province’s service needs.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Asaad Al-Meslmawi, head of the council, noted that the province is preparing an official decision to reclaim the withheld funds, calling Babil “a province in crisis due to limited resources.”

Traffic registration revenues alone reached roughly 15 billion Iraqi dinars ($10.3M) in recent years, yet only 250 million dinars ($172,000) were returned, a sum Al-Meslmawi called “meager.”

He also urged the provincial financial deputy to take full responsibility, warning that the council will impose strict measures if Baghdad’s centralized approach continues to restrict the province’s access to its revenues.

Since the election of former Babil Governor Adnan Fayhan as First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the province has not selected a successor amid political disputes. The State of Law Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, is contending with the Sadiqoon Movement, headed by Qais Al-Khazaali, for control of the governor’s post. Former MP Amir Al-Maamouri, supported by the Ishraqat Kanoun Bloc, is also in the running.