2026-08-11T17:10:31+00:00
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Shafaq News- Baghdad
A proposal to double the basic salary paid to Iraqi
public employees during long-term leave from 50% to 100% has raised financial
and legal concerns over the cost to the state, the fate of reserved posts, and
how such periods would count toward service and pensions.
Parliament’s Legal Committee has agreed to the
increase as lawmakers consider legislation allowing public employees to take
extended leave and work in the private sector, committee member Mohammed Jassim
Al-Khafaji told Shafaq News, clarifying that it would also set the duration of
leave and regulate employment outside government institutions, job protections,
and pension entitlements.
“The aim is to give employees an opportunity to
benefit from their experience and capabilities during the leave period while
preserving their employment status under regulations to be defined by law.”
The increase, Al-Khafaji noted, remains under
parliamentary consideration and could change before a final vote.
Financial And Legal Concerns
Speaking to Shafaq News, legal expert Haider Anis
Al-Rubaie warned that paying the full basic salary to employees who are not
providing government services would add to pressure on public finances. He
urged lawmakers to assess the number of potential beneficiaries, the expected Treasury
cost, and the long-term pension implications before expanding the benefit.
Al-Rubaie also questioned whether posts should remain
reserved for employees absent for several years, potentially limiting the state’s
ability to address staffing shortages, arguing, “Public employment is not
merely a financial position, but a responsibility linked to providing services
to citizens.”
He considered extended leave a possible component of
administrative reform but cautioned that any system should avoid restricting
opportunities for job seekers or preventing public institutions from filling
vacancies.
Economic monitor Eco Iraq separately called for the
proposal’s total financial cost to be determined before approval, pointing to the
country’s already high recurrent spending.
What The Proposal Allows
Parliament has completed the first reading of a
Finance Committee version allowing employees with at least one year of service
to take leave for five years or longer while receiving 50% of their basic
salary, or unpaid leave for at least six months.
Beneficiaries could work in the private sector and
have the period counted toward retirement by paying the required pension
contributions. Contract employees would also qualify and could complete their
remaining terms after returning.
The Legal Committee’s proposed 100% rate would double
the payment contained in the version that passed its first reading.
Employee Concerns
Government employees interviewed by Shafaq News
focused largely on their status after returning to public service. Ali Hamed
viewed the full payment as useful for those facing personal circumstances or
seeking experience in the private sector but called for safeguards covering
promotions, reinstatement, and career progression.
Sundus Jalil also welcomed the higher rate, while
stressing that employees taking several years of leave need clearly defined
rights and obligations.