Iraq's Non-Oil Revenues Rise to 2.5 Trillion Dinars, Says Border Crossings Authority

Reuters

Iraqi Border Guards are seen at the border gate between Iraq and Iran after it partially reopened at the Shalamcheh Border Crossing, Iraq.

The Head of Iraq’s Border Crossings Authority has announced that customs revenues for 2025 have hiked to 2.5 trillion Iraqi dinars, marking a significant increase compared to the previous year. He also revealed that a detailed report has been submitted to Parliament, including the coordinates of unofficial border crossings in the Kurdistan Region.

Lieutenant General Omar al-Waeli, Head of the Border Crossings Authority, told Al-Iraqiya News Channel that the authority had been hosted by the parliament over the past two days, alongside the directors of customs and taxation, to discuss ways to maximise non-oil revenues.

He explained that the parliamentary session included a comprehensive presentation on the border crossings management programme, electronic network connectivity, and measures to combat smuggling, noting that the discussions also featured a set of recommendations proposing legislative amendments aimed at boosting state revenues.

Al-Waeli stated that customs revenues for 2025 reached 2.5 trillion dinars, an increase of 500 billion dinars compared to 2024, when revenues stood at 2 trillion dinars. He attributed this growth to improved governance, automation, and enhanced electronic connectivity between departments operating at border crossings.

Addressing the challenges to revenue maximisation, al-Waeli emphasised that the presence of unofficial border crossings in the Kurdistan Region with neighbouring countries has a direct impact on federal border crossings. He noted that a comprehensive report had been submitted to the parliament detailing the names, locations, and coordinates of these crossings, stressing that their closure would significantly increase government revenues.

He added that the government has adopted alternative measures, including the deployment of checkpoints and customs posts in the governorates of Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Diyala, to collect the difference in customs duties between federal and regional border crossings. These checkpoints, he said, have been electronically linked.

According to al-Waeli, the objective of these measures is to collect outstanding customs fees, ensure the unification of tariffs across Iraq, and prevent discrepancies or discrimination between border crossings. He confirmed that further measures will be implemented in the future.



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