Iraq – Disagreement among political parties over the food security law in Iraq

Location: Baghdad – Iraq

Language: Arabic

Voice: Natural

Duration: 00:03:46

Source: A24

Restrictions: A24 Clients

Dateline: 30-04-2022

Storyline:

The draft law of food security is one of the controversial laws in Iraq because of the disagreement on it among the political parties, which threatens to increase the uncertainty of the political scene.

Some forces believe that this law will achieve food security for Iraq, alleviate poverty and provide financial stability, amid the current international circumstances and the tensions due to the Russia-Ukraine war, high global food prices, and the lack of food imports, especially wheat and cooking oils.

The law is considered to facilitate the process of providing services to citizens and raising their standard of living, after the rise in national oil revenues. Last month, Iraq achieved the highest oil revenues in 50 years, benefiting from the rise in international product prices, and the war on Ukraine.

On the other hand, other parliamentary forces believe that the law may be an introduction to corruption cases, a waste of money, and an excuse for the dominant forces in Parliament to ignore the budget law, especially in the failure to form a new government.

Shot list:

• SOUNDBITE (Dr. Mazhar Muhammad Salih – Advisor to the Prime Minister for Economic Affairs):

“Delaying the budget causes great harm. We work with the so-called minimum expenditures of last year’s budget. There are important and basic appointments, there are payments for some people in the private and the public sector, and there are important strategic projects that must be implemented. We will enter the second half of the year without a budget. I believe the food security law is a compromise that came due to political rivalries until a new government is formed and the budget is approved and passed.

• SOUNDBITE (Basem Jamil Antoun – Economist and industrial expert):

“We should support our economy, but we are afraid of this law to be an alternative to the budget law. Why is the food security law issued when it is not included in the budget plan? If it is to serve the citizens, provide local goods and promise that the budget will be legislated as stated in the report of the Ministry of Planning and Finance, then there is no fear of the law and it will not be an alternative for the budget law.”

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