Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi has officially requested that the country's newly formed federal government immediately submit a bill to reform and amend the state and public sector salary scale.

The move aims to address mounting financial pressure on government workers caused by inflation and a rising cost of living.

Official Correspondence Dispatched to Cabinet

In an official document sent to the Prime Minister on May 21, Speaker al-Halbousi formally requested that the Council of Ministers fast-track the submission of the draft public sector salary scale law, or alternatively introduce comprehensive amendments to the current, outdated legislation.

Decades-Old Pay Structures Straining Livelihoods

The Speaker emphasized that the current legal framework governing public employee compensation is drastically out of touch with contemporary economic realities. The foundational state salary law dates back to 2008, while the last major adjustment to the payroll grading system was enacted over a decade ago under Resolution No. 400 of 2015.

According to Al-Halbousi, this long legislative gap has exposed government employees to severe inflation, diminishing their purchasing power and creating an unsustainable economic burden on public sector households.

Broader Economic and Social Impacts

Al-Halbousi underscored that modernizing the civil service salary scale would have far-reaching positive effects on Iraqi society.

The Speaker noted that either passing a new law or successfully amending the existing framework would directly enhance job security and social stability for state employees. Furthermore, Al-Halbousi stated that establishing a fair pay scale is a vital step toward achieving socioeconomic justice and equality across all segments of the Iraqi population.