Politics

PM Barzani instructs Ministry of Finance and Economy to distribute salaries upon arrival

The Premier assured the council that the KRG would never compromise on the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people and that it would continue to work towards fundamentally resolving salary and entitlement issues.

Kurdistan 24 2023/09/20 17:12

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at the KRG Council of Ministers meeting, Sept. 20, 2023. (Photo: KRG)

Kurdistan KRG council of ministers Masrour Barzani Budget Iraqi government

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Chaired by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers held its weekly meeting with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, according to a statement from the KRG.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Council of Ministers condemned the attack on the Arbat airfield in Sulaimani province and extended its condolences to the families of the victims. Additionally, the council called for respect for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq's sovereignty.

During the first phase of the meeting, a summary of the visit of a senior KRG delegation to Baghdad on Sept. 14, led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, was presented.

The Prime Minister explained that the delegation had been assigned to provide salaries for Kurdish civil servants. According to the Iraqi parties, a long-term plan for salary provisions was presented based on the Iraqi Constitution. The current proposal to increase the amount of loans was approved during the last meeting of the Iraqi Federal Council of Ministers.

The Premier also thanked the Kurdistan Region people for their resilience, in addition to the Kurdish factions in the Iraqi parliament for their support to the KRG delegation.

He also assured the council that the KRG would never compromise on the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people and that it would continue to work towards fundamentally resolving salary and entitlement issues.

Furthermore, Barzani ordered the Ministry of Finance and Economy to begin distributing July salaries of Kurdistan Region civil servants immediately upon receiving the first installment of the $534.1 million lump sum.

The Iraqi Council of Ministers decided on Sunday to disburse $534.1 million monthly until November in order for the Region to be able to cover public expenses, including civil servants' salaries.

Hailed as one of the country’s biggest budgets, the state expenditures were set at 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion), with a deficit of more than 64 trillion dinars (over $48 billion).

The Kurdistan Region’s share in the federal budget is set at 12.67 percent, amounting to more than $12 billion annually.

KRG Council of Ministers meeting, Sept. 20, 2023. (Photo: KRG)