“There are no more obstacles to the integrity commission’s work. I am not saying there are no more challenges, but we have the power to overcome any obstacles to eradicating the corrupt,” Haider Hanoun, the commission’s head, told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Under the theme of “Shaping Future Governments,” World Government Summit 2024 brought governments, international organizations, thought leaders, and private sector leaders to Dubai to engage in dialogue and identify solutions for global challenges.
Hanoun underlined the importance of such an event for the Iraqi commission to learn from the experiences of other states in pursuing its objectives, including the implementation of the Right to Information bill after it receives parliamentary approval.
The Iraqi cabinet in October approved the Right to Information bill and submitted the draft to the parliament for consideration. The bill aims to promote transparency in the government’s work by granting citizens the right to request access to state documents and information.
“It is important to pass this bill, because it grants citizens the right to access information and they can see how their money is spent and where it is going. This will certainly benefit all citizens, regardless of whether they are in the Kurdistan Region or other provinces. It is the citizen’s right to know where his salary and entitlements are going,” said Hanoun.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has failed to pay civil servant salaries in full and on time for the better part of the last decade, often blaming the federal government for not providing the sufficient funds to do so.
The Iraqi parliament is set to conduct the first reading of the bill next week.
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