Iraqi Finance Minister Faleh Sari has reaffirmed that government employee salaries are fully secured, rejecting reports that salaries could be distributed every 45 days amid delays in the payment of August salaries.

Speaking during a meeting with economists and financial experts on Wednesday, Sari said the government has no plans to change the country’s current monthly salary payment system.

“Salaries are fully secured, and there is no need to distribute them every 45 days,” Sari said, according to statements released after the meeting.

The minister said the Iraqi government needs approximately 7.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($5.9 billion) each month to cover public-sector salaries.

His comments came as August salary payments had yet to begin, raising concerns among government employees about possible delays similar to those experienced in the previous month.

Sari also highlighted broader financial pressures facing the government. He said the Finance Ministry is working to control rising expenditures, reorganize government spending and improve the efficiency of public financial resources.

He added that the ministry is considering measures to increase salaries and allowances for lower-ranking government employees.

On tax revenues, Sari said the ministry is monitoring around 3,800 major taxpayers, but only about 1,300 are currently meeting their tax obligations. The government plans to expand the tax base through tax identification numbers and stronger monitoring measures aimed at reducing tax evasion.

The minister also said the Finance Ministry is owed nearly 20 trillion dinars by various institutions and entities, with efforts underway to reorganize and recover the outstanding funds.

Sari further discussed plans to diversify Iraq’s oil-export routes. He pointed to a joint Saudi-Kuwaiti pipeline extending toward the Red Sea with a capacity of up to two million barrels per day, saying Iraq could potentially participate in the project in the future.