Kurdistan PM, cabinet discuss economic implications of coronavirus
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani on Tuesday chaired a cabinet meeting to discuss the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the autonomous region of Iraq.
Acknowledging ongoing efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) high-level committee to combat coronavirus, Barzani stressed the need to consider citizens' interests when ordering precautionary measures that could have a wide-ranging impact on the public.
“The Prime Minister called on all peoples and parties in the Kurdistan Region to abide by the instructions issued by the government to keep the public safe,” he stated, according to Prime Minister’s press office. “The implications of coronavirus are not limited to public health, but also affect the economy of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the wider world.”
He also stressed that his government remains committed to modernizing and diversifying the Kurdistan Region's economy.
KRG authorities decided on Wednesday to cancel all religious gatherings until further notice, a decision aimed at curbing the further spread of the disease.
Read More: Kurdistan Region cancels Friday prayers after Iraq's first coronavirus death
As the number of cases continues to increase in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the KRG has added multiple additions to its growing list of precautionary measures, including shutting down all women’s salons, beauty centers, and bars that offer alcohol.
The Kurdistan Region’s General Board of Tourism on Monday announced that they had fined or shut down 98 hotels, cafes, and other tourism destinations for failing to abide by the government’s instructions against the coronavirus epidemic.
Read More: Tourism board fines, closes 98 hotels, cafes for violating KRG's anti-coronavirus measures
During Tuesday's cabinet meeting, ministers agreed to reduce unnecessary government expenditures as part of the ongoing reform process.
“The cabinet also acknowledged that implementation of the KRG’s modernization agenda is dependent on the political, economic and security situation in Iraq and the region. They agreed to continue the ongoing constructive dialogue with the federal government of Iraq, particularly to minimize any economic effects caused by the recent fall in oil prices,” the statement added.
The KRG's Health Ministry has so far confirmed 14 cases of the infection in the Kurdistan Region, with one of them dying and another having recovered.
Editing by John J. Catherine