Former parliament rapporteur Mohammed al-Khalidi said on Saturday that a wave of rumors spreading online about Iraq’s inability to pay government salaries is completely false and does not reflect the reality on the ground.
In remarks to dinaropinions.com, al-Khalidi said that more than 100 rumors have circulated recently across news platforms and websites claiming that the Iraqi government cannot pay this month’s salaries. According to him, these claims are inaccurate and are creating unnecessary fear among the public.
He explained that Iraq remains a country with significant resources and economic potential. The government, he said, is currently moving forward with a long-term economic reform program designed to strengthen the country’s financial system and reduce its dependence on oil revenues.
Al-Khalidi stressed that these reforms cannot happen overnight. Iraq has spent decades operating under a heavily oil-dependent system, and fixing the structural problems in the economy requires time. He noted that many economic and financial laws still need to be revised or amended before the country can successfully move toward a more diversified economic model.
He also pointed out that the recent flood of salary rumors appears to be part of a broader effort to confuse the public and create anxiety. According to al-Khalidi, the reality on the ground clearly contradicts the claims that the government cannot meet its payroll obligations.
He confirmed that the government’s priority right now is maintaining financial stability and ensuring that salaries continue to be paid regularly. He added that Iraq also needs a clear economic roadmap that focuses on strengthening non-oil revenues and gradually transforming the economy into a more open and diversified system.
Such a shift, he said, would help Iraq protect itself from future drops in global oil prices and build a more stable financial future for the country.
