Alwaght-The Minister of Finance, Hoshyar Zebari, said that 23% of 2015 Financial Budget, which amounts 134 billion dollars, will be allocated for security and defense.
Zebari also stated in a press statement on Friday that the 2015 Budget included the salaries of the volunteers, supporting the security forces in fighting the ISIS terrorists, explaining that the government needs the volunteer forces and they will be joined into the National Guard that will be formed as planned.
He also confirmed that arming the tribes is within the strategy of the present government and that they welcome any international support helping Iraq. Although, he assured that any support to the tribes is exclusively an internal Iraqi decision, as well as they welcome any support that comes to Iraq, where each of the volunteer forces, tribes, and Peshmerga (Kurd forces) must benefit from because their enemy is one.
Zebari added that Iraq is not a bankrupt country nor does not have an efficient human or financial resource, but expenses must be reduced and cooperation is needed in order to overcome the current difficult phase. Zebari said that there must be no extra payments over the assigned budget allocations and the law, which will help conserving the state's resources.
He pointed out that the fiscal deficit for 2015 budget is estimated at 40 billion dollars, and the security sector and the army will have the largest share of this budget.
Zebari said 134 billion dollars have been allocated to the federal budget for 2015, noting that nearly a quarter of the budget was allocated for the security ministries.
While stressing that the security forces deserve support to counter what is seen as the world's most ruthless militant group, Zebari said tighter controls were needed.
Zebari added that a recent deal conducted in Baghdad had reduced frictions over Kurdish oil exports. Other reconciliation efforts are moving slowly, including plans to build a National Guard that can incorporate all sects and communities.
He seemed optimistic that the tide is turning in the war against ISIS, which has declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria it controls.
Zebari said this terrorist group could no longer engage in prolonged stand-up battles against Iraqi forces, but he warned that ISIS terrorist group was still highly effective at making and planting roadside bombs and booby-trapping houses. The group is also lethal, because it can multi-task using conventional warfare, guerrilla tactics, and suicide bomb squads.
"After all, these years nobody wants to see a caliphate of hatred. They are no longer an existential threat to our existence. They are still a very very serious threat," said Zebari.
"How long it will take? I don’t have the crystal ball to tell you. It will take some time. I think we are winning, they are losing," said Zebari.
Zebari does not have to look far for a reminder of the kind of damage ISIS terrorist group's predecessors, al-Qaeda, inflicted in Iraq. A truck bomb close to the ministry killed at least 28 people in 2009.
Iraq has not published spending figures for this year, but according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Baghdad spent $7.9 billion on defense in 2013.
The increase in the security and defense budget of 2015 came in the context of the serious situation of Iraq and the region is facing with ISIS terrorist group and other terrorist groups.
With this financial budget increase, the present Iraqi government tries to focus its efforts on solving the real danger of ISIS terrorist group and other terrorist groups compose on its security.
Main Source: Reuters
