Finance ministry denies social media claims of inability to pay December salaries

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Ministry of Finance dismissed circulating social media reports claiming it would be unable to pay government employees’ salaries for the current month due to a liquidity shortage, calling the information “completely false and baseless.”

In an official statement, the ministry affirmed, “The information circulating on social media alleging an inability to pay government employees’ salaries this month due to a liquidity shortage is entirely untrue and has no connection to reality.”

The ministry emphasized its full commitment to financing employee salaries. “The Accounting Department has already funded the salary entitlements for ministries, provinces, and independent entities for December according to their respective schedules,” the statement read. It also assured ongoing efforts to ensure the uninterrupted and timely disbursement of financial entitlements.

This marks the second instance this year in which the Ministry of Finance has refuted claims of salary payment delays. On Sept. 19, 2024, the ministry dismissed similar reports, emphasizing that all payments would proceed as scheduled and labeling the circulating allegations as “completely unfounded.”

Concerns about liquidity shortages have been anticipated due to Iraq’s heavy reliance on oil revenues, which constitute approximately 90% of government income. Fluctuations in global oil prices directly impact the country’s financial stability, leading to apprehensions about potential delays in salary payments and other government expenditures.