Kurdistan Region parliament votes to pass landmark Reform Bill

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Parliament on Thursday approved the passage of a landmark Reform Bill with 89 votes out of the 111-seat assembly.

The parliament session began at 11 a.m. local time and lasted nearly three hours. Lawmakers voted on the Bill on Reform of Pensions, Salaries, Allowances, Grants, and Other Benefits.

The bill aims “to bring fairness” to the pay and pensions system for government employees and Peshmerga, according to the Kurdistan Parliament website. It is also meant to eliminate “ghost employees” and correctly assign staff grades.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) approved the Reform Bill in December and sent it to the Kurdistan Region Parliament. The autonomous Kurdish government considers the bill a landmark step toward reforming the region’s public sector.

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Parliament completed the first reading of the 19-article bill in late December, after which 85 lawmakers voted to grant it an “emergency status” to facilitate its passage.

Regarding how the law would affect the Kurdistan Region’s international efforts, Safeen Dizayee, Head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, previously told Kurdistan 24 that Erbil would increase its participation in international forums in the new year.

“There are serious efforts to develop our international relations and have a presence on international platforms,” Dizayee said. 

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has repeatedly affirmed that reform is one of his government’s main priorities.