Abadi says Iraq ready to pay salaries of Kurdistan employees

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday said his government was ready to pay the salaries of employees in the Kurdistan Region despite a “technical problem.”

The Iraqi Prime Minister had previously requested that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) provide a list of the number of employees and names from the Ministry of Education and Health for auditing purposes before salaries were sent.

During his weekly press conference in Baghdad, Abadi said the existence of a “technical problem” would not prevent the Iraqi government from providing the people of Kurdistan with their salaries.

“The existence of problems regarding the names and number of employees of the Kurdistan Region will not be a barrier for the payment of their salaries,” the Iraqi Prime Minister said after his meeting with government officials in Baghdad.

According to Abadi, the Kurdistan Region had also promised to provide accounts for its revenues in 2018.

In a statement on Tuesday, KRG spokesperson Safeen Dizayee highlighted the steps made by Baghdad to begin resolving the ongoing issues between the two parties.

“Erbil considers Baghdad’s request of the list of employees from the KRG’s Ministries of Education and Health before sending employee salaries as a good gesture,” the statement read.

Dizayee added the Region was ready to “coordinate and collaborate” with Iraq to “reach a common solution.”

Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have increased since the Region held an independence referendum on Sep. 25, 2017, which won overwhelming support for secession from Iraq.

Baghdad refused to recognize the vote and instead responded by imposing collective punitive measures against Kurdistan, including the use of military force in disputed areas.