Baghdad Provincial Council Seeks Financial Approval to Pay Contractors Outside Traditional Budget

Baghdad Provincial Council announced on Tuesday its endeavor to obtain approval from the Ministry of Finance to disburse financial allocations to the province's contractors outside the traditional budget framework. Hussein Al-Khuzaie, a member of the Provincial Council, affirmed that "the file of applicants for provincial contracts is one of the important issues that the Council is working to finalize and audit according to legal regulations." He noted that "the province, following its official announcement of the names of ten thousand winners selected from half a million applicants, immediately began the final stage of contract conclusion and signing, to enable accepted candidates to assume their positions optimally." Al-Khuzaie explained that "the Ministry of Finance has not yet released the financial allocations for this segment of contractors within the province's staff, under the provisions of the tripartite budget (2023-2025). This is procedurally due to the Ministry closing its final accounts at the beginning of 2026 without including the dues of this financial file before the closure." He also revealed, in the same context, "the province's determination to coordinate directly and intensively with the Ministry of Finance to obtain the necessary approvals for direct disbursement of financial amounts to them outside the traditional budget framework, ensuring their sequential joining of their jobs without administrative obstacles." The council member pointed out "the presence of two thousand winners among the applicants who have not completed the procedures and documents required before assuming their duties, which has kept their job positions vacant. This situation, according to the applicable regulations, requires their replacement from the reserve lists."