Baghdad: The Minister of Electricity, Ali Saadi Wahib, has formally approached the Ministry of Finance with a request to secure the permanent employment of 6,836 meter readers in the 2027 federal budget law. This initiative aims to stabilize the workforce within the public electricity distribution companies across various regions.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry of Electricity conveyed in a letter to the Ministry of Finance/Budget Department that there is a confirmed need for the services of these meter readers. The letter also highlighted the availability of necessary funding to support their roles. The distribution of meter readers is detailed as follows: 1,805 in the North, 1,423 in Baghdad, 1,445 in the Central Region, 1,364 in the Middle Euphrates Region, and 799 in the South.

The Minister emphasized that this group of meter readers has already acquired significant field experience and assured that the formalization of their employment would not impose any additional financial burdens on the public treasury. He urged the inclusion of a specific clause in the 2027 Federal General Budget Law to facilitate their permanent employment.