Planning Ministry: Unified Salary Scale Faces Financial and Legislative Challenges

The Ministry of Planning announced on Friday that implementing a unified salary scale faces financial and legislative obstacles, confirming that the committee in charge has revised its estimates of the financial costs required for its implementation.

Deputy Minister Maher Hamad Juhan told the official news agency, as reported by the Iraqi Press, that unifying salaries would require additional funding to increase the wages of employees in grades six through ten. He noted that the state’s current financial conditions do not allow it to shoulder these obligations, particularly amid the suspension of allowances and promotions due to the failure to approve the budget.

Juhan explained that special laws granting financial benefits to employees in several ministries, including Education, Foreign Affairs, and Electricity, represent a legislative challenge that requires legal amendments.

He pointed out that the main disparity in salaries is linked to allowances rather than basic salaries, noting that such allowances may amount to twice the basic salary. He added that the committee had revised its estimates of the financial costs of implementing the scale, while stressing that the current timing is not suitable for amending it. The final decision, he said, rests with the government and the Council of Representatives.