Iraq parliament tax session draws criticism as MPs push to summon Al-Sudani

Shafaq News– BaghdadIraq’s Saturday parliamentarysession on customs, border, and tax authorities amounted to little more than a“media display,” a lawmaker said, as moves intensified to summon caretakerPrime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for talks on non-oil revenues.Speaking with Shafaq News, Badr blocMP Shakir Abu Turabal-Tamimi contrasted Iraq’s handling of tax and customs revenues withinternational practice, noting that “most countries benefit from all forms oftax collection,” while Iraq, “particularly under the current caretakergovernment,” has moved in the opposite direction. “The largest corruption filescurrently exist within the bodies hosted by parliament in today’s session,” headded. Separately, a parliamentary sourcetold our agency that, during the session, several lawmakers requested thespeakership to host al-Sudani, the finance minister, and other senior officialsto discuss the volume of non-oil revenues, citing Iraq’s ongoing economicpressures.The debate unfolded as parliament,under newly elected Speaker Haibet Al-Halbousi, reviewed non-oil incomeoutlined in the federal budget. According to MP Ibtisam Al-Hilali, lawmakersscrutinized revenues from taxes, fees, and collections, particularly a cabinetdecision imposing new levies on vehicles, goods, services, electronics, medicines,and other imports—duties that reached up to 30 percent and “already slowedmarket activity.” : Iraq’s delicate maneuver: Boosting revenuewithout crushing consumer power