More Wed. Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 9-2-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Contractors in the liberated areas are demanding payment of their dues and warning of project stoppages.
The Iraqi Contractors Union called on the Prime Minister, Parliament, and Minister of Finance on Tuesday to intervene urgently to disburse the outstanding financial dues owed to companies and contractors contracted with the Reconstruction Fund for Liberated Areas, noting that the delay of some of these dues for more than two years has caused financial damage to contractors and threatened their ability to continue implementing projects.
This came during a conference held in Anbar province, attended by a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, with the participation of a number of contractors from the liberated provinces to raise their concerns and demand their rights and outstanding financial dues from the Reconstruction Fund for Liberated Areas.
The head of the Iraqi and Arab Contractors Union, Ali Fakher Sanafi, confirmed in a statement during the conference that the Reconstruction Fund for Liberated Areas has played a role in supporting the stability of the liberated governorates over the past years by implementing projects, rebuilding infrastructure, and supporting the people of these governorates who were subjected to damage and destruction as a result of military operations against groups of evil and terrorism.
He pointed out that contractors who contributed to the reconstruction of their cities and bore the burdens of implementation, financing and financial obligations cannot be left to face this crisis without real solutions.
According to Sanafi, the contractors called on the government, the House of Representatives, and the Ministry of Finance to intervene urgently and disburse the dues of companies and contractors contracted with the Reconstruction Fund for Liberated Areas, just like the rest of the contracting parties, and to do justice to this segment that had a fundamental role in the reconstruction of those areas.
In an exclusive interview with Shafaq News Agency, Snafi said that the issue of entitlements is "complex and cannot be resolved so easily."
He added that the state is suffering from a financial crisis and a deficit in paying employee salaries, which is repeated at the beginning of each month, considering that the private sector treats him as if he were "second class".
Snafi said the country is facing a "real crisis" after the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Iraq is known for its dependence on oil.
He explained that the Prime Minister granted contractors 600 billion Iraqi dinars, of which amounts ranging between 300 and 350 billion dinars were distributed, while some ministries have not yet received their share of the amount.
He explained that the agreement stipulates allocating at least one trillion Iraqi dinars per month during the current phase, with the possibility of increasing the amount, stressing that the contractors "are optimistic," but the first 600 billion has not yet been completed.
Snafi stressed that the crisis is not limited to the fund for the reconstruction of liberated areas, but is a "general crisis in all regions of Iraq".
He pointed out that there is communication between the Contractors Union and the sub-unions, warning that stopping projects leads to their demise and harms the citizen, the government and the contractor, expressing that the union does not wish to reach this stage.
Snafi said that contractors "are the children of the state," and that the relationship with it is similar, as he described it, to "father and son," adding that disagreements may occur between the two sides, but they do not mean hatred.
He added that the contractors "did their part," and reached a point where they wanted "only a portion of what they had provided" returned to them.
He pointed out that all projects throughout Iraq have reached completion rates of no less than 30 percent, considering this an achievement for the Iraqi contractor, but he indicated that there is no specific percentage for the stalled projects, although their number is large, and that many projects are now threatened with being stopped due to the financial deficit. link
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Tishwash: Maliki's coalition withdraws its appeal to the Federal Court regarding the ministers of interior and education, leaving the decision to parliament.
On Tuesday, Jassim Mohammed Jaafar, a leader in the State of Law Coalition, revealed that his coalition had withdrawn its appeal to the Federal Court regarding doubts about the vote counting process for candidates for the Ministries of Interior and Defense.
Jaafar told Al-Maalomah News Agency that "it was agreed to refer the authority to re-nominate Qasim Atta and Amer Al-Khazai to the House of Representatives, to decide through a voting process on the option of re-nomination or not."
He added that "if an absolute majority is not obtained to re-nominate the previous candidates, the names of the reserve candidates will be put forward immediately," while ruling out "the completion of the cabinet in next Monday's session, due to the lack of clarity regarding the candidates of the political blocs and the continuation of unresolved disputes."
It is worth noting that the statement issued after yesterday's coordination meeting set Monday as the date for finalizing the government formation and voting on the nominated ministers.link
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Tishwash: Parliamentary Security Committee: We seriously doubt the withdrawal of the international coalition from Iraq.
On Wednesday, Jawad al-Saadi, a member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, called on the government to include the Parliament in the committees tasked with monitoring the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq, expressing doubts about the seriousness of the withdrawal's implementation.
Al-Saadi told the Information Agency, "The government is required to include Parliament in the committees concerned with the withdrawal of international coalition forces to ensure clear monitoring of the procedures," indicating that "there are doubts about the seriousness of the withdrawal and the extent of commitment to its implementation."
He added, "The continued presence of international coalition forces in Iraq is not in the country's interest, especially since Iraq possesses security forces capable of maintaining security and defending its territory," stressing the need for the withdrawal process to be clear and specific, in a way that preserves Iraq's sovereignty and its security decisions.
Al-Saadi affirmed that "Parliament is concerned with monitoring this issue, and its inclusion in the withdrawal committees contributes to strengthening oversight and ensuring the implementation of what is agreed upon." link
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Tishwash: Shahid: Political disagreements over the creation of deputy prime minister positions
Member of Parliament, Ahmed Shaheed, confirmed on Tuesday that the issue of appointing deputies to the Prime Minister has not yet been resolved, suggesting that political forces will begin discussions on this issue after the vote to complete Al-Zidi’s cabinet.
Shahid told Al-Maalomah News Agency, "There is a political trend emerging towards appointing deputies for Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi, but the idea is still under discussion and has not yet taken an official stance."
He added that "this proposal faces mixed acceptance within political circles, as some reject this approach based on financial and administrative considerations, because it will constitute an additional financial burden on the budget and an extra routine link in the structure of state administration."
It is worth noting that the statement issued after yesterday's coordination meeting set Monday as the date for finalizing the cabinet formation and voting on the nominated ministers. link