At a Glance:

• The meeting of Iraq’s high committee tasked with drafting the 2027 federal budget has been delayed until early next week.
• Despite the postponement, the committee maintains its target to finish writing the draft law by September 15 for submission to the Council of Ministers.
• The Iraqi Ministry of Finance stressed that full financial transparency and rigorous revenue auditing are strict prerequisites for finalizing the text.
• Following federal cabinet review and approval, the bill is scheduled for transmission to the Council of Representatives on October 10 for official readings and voting.

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The meeting of Iraq’s high committee tasked with drafting the 2027 federal budget bill has been postponed to early next week, narrowing the remaining window for technical teams to finalize the text. Despite the delay, government officials reaffirm that the drafting process, which officially launched on August 27 in Baghdad, remains on track to meet its September 15 deadline for Council of Ministers review, ahead of a scheduled submission to parliament on October 10.

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Key Statements and Focus Area:

• High Budget Drafting Committee Member:
  "Although the committee meeting was originally scheduled for today, the decision was made to postpone sessions until early next week. The committee remains fully committed to completing the draft law by September 15 and presenting it to the Council of Ministers for an official vote before legal submission deadlines expire."

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Key Milestones and Timeline for Iraq's 2027 Federal Budget

Legislative Phase	Target Date / Window	Key Action & Operational Directive
Drafting Launch	August 27, 2026	Technical sessions convened in Baghdad across federal ministries.
High Committee Meeting	Early Next Week (Postponed)	Reconciliation of ministry revenue data and expenditure caps.
Draft Completion Target	September 15, 2026	Finalization of legal text for submission to the Council of Ministers.
Cabinet Approval Vote	Late September 2026	Council of Ministers endorsement of the program-and-performance draft.
Parliamentary Transmission	October 10, 2026	Formal forwarding to the Council of Representatives for final readings.

Transparency Mandates and Revenue Auditing

The Iraqi Ministry of Finance has underscored that establishing data transparency and complete revenue auditing across all governorates and federal entities is non-negotiable for the 2027 bill. By shifting toward a program-and-performance framework, the ministry aims to verify all regional non-oil receipts, domestic fuel allocations, and public sector employment numbers before locking figures into the final bill.

Strict Statutory Deadlines

Postponing the high committee meeting leaves a tight timeline for technical groups to digest structural inputs, including the KRG’s 10-point entitlement package. However, federal leaders emphasize that completing the draft by September 15 is vital to allow the Council of Ministers sufficient time to debate and approve the measure before the October 10 deadline to send the text to parliament.

FYI

While short delays in high committee meetings reflect ongoing procedural haggling over spending caps and data auditing, the government's commitment to the September 15 drafting mark shows a resolve to avoid past legislative impasses. Adhering to the October 10 parliamentary deadline will be crucial to restoring fiscal predictability and securing timely public sector payrolls for 2027.

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