Kurdistan Region needs immediate support

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Masrour Barzani, Chancellor of Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), stated on Thursday that political and economic reform is the only way forward.

Barzani received the British ambassador to Iraq, Frank Baker and the British Consul in Erbil, Angus McKee on Monday, according to a statement released by KRSC. Barzani stressed the importance of the reform plan announced by President of Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani on Feb. 2. President Barzani introduced several reforms aimed at restructuring the government from its critical financial crisis.

The Chancellor also stressed an administrative reshuffling of the economic and finance systems in Kurdistan Region to make them more transparent. “Other than reform, there is no way to deal with the current economic crisis in Kurdistan,” Barzani added, according to the statement.

“The reform process needs time, but Kurdistan needs immediate support from the international community to resolve the current crisis,” he said.

“The increasing military expenses against Islamic State terrorism puts the Region under constant financial pressure that cannot be ignored any further,” Barzani added.

Kurdistan Region is currently facing an unprecedented financial and economic crisis. As a result, over the last five months, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been unable to pay civil servants’ salaries, including Peshmerga forces fighting IS on the frontlines.

Since late 2015, KRG discussed and approved a series of reform packages to deal with the financial crisis and to ensure the quick distribution of employees’ salaries.

Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany and Benjamin Kweskin