Kurdistan Region cabinet meets on 2021 budget, new joint force at borders

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet announced on Thursday that it was making substantial progress on its 2021 budget and had ordered the creation of a joint security force from the ministries of Peshmerga and Interior (police) to be deployed at border crossings of the autonomous federal region of Iraq to prevent “smuggling and illegal activities.”

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired an ordinary session of the Council of Ministers on Thursday in which those decisions and others were made in line with the Reform Law, including the formation of the new military force.

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Ministers stipulated that the new security unit would be “a joint and special force to prevent any violation, breach, or evasion of the law at all border crossings in the Kurdistan Region,” a statement from the KRG said today.

The force will have “sufficient legal authority” to enforce anti-corruption measures and confront “smuggling and illegal activities across all the border crossings without any exception,” the statement added.

Barzani also directed his cabinet to “do everything to reorganize and increase revenue.” 

The Council of Ministers “approved a timeframe for the draft budget of 2021,” according to the statement.

Next week, it continued, the High Economic Council is scheduled to vote on the draft budget's approval.

Editing by John J. Catherine