Baghdad –INA
Financial adviser to the Prime Minister, Mazhar Mohammed Salih, said on Tuesday that funds recovered from corruption cases constitute exceptional, non-recurring revenues that cannot be relied upon in drafting Iraq’s general budgets, but can help narrow the fiscal deficit and finance development projects.
Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Salih said the recovered assets represent “important but exceptional revenues” that should not be treated as a permanent source of income in the preparation of annual budgets, although they remain a valuable component of financial planning.
He explained that such funds are typically allocated to reducing the budget deficit, financing specific projects that directly affect citizens’ lives, or strengthening the country’s financial reserves, rather than serving as a foundation for long-term fiscal policy or annual budget planning.
Salih stressed that recovering stolen public funds is vital because it curbs financial waste, strengthens the state treasury, and enhances the confidence of citizens, investors, and the international financial community in Iraq’s economic system.
He added that while recovered corruption proceeds provide significant support to the national economy, they cannot replace the state’s regular budget, as their role ultimately depends on the scale and limits of public spending.