KRG calls on international community to support Kurdistan Region in securing its constitutional rights

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday called on the international community to support the Kurdistan Region in securing its constitutional rights and financial entitlements, as Erbil is waiting for its budget share to be released by Baghdad. 

The call was made during the KRG weekly meeting led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani in Erbil, according to a press release shared by the government.

We passed a federal budget based on rights and duties, delivered our part, and now Iraq must pay KRG's rightful share.https://t.co/88eXYJPEFn

— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) September 6, 2023

The ministers discuss the latest developments in the discussions between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the Region’s financial entitlements.

“The Kurdistan Region calls on the international community to support it in securing its constitutional rights and financial entitlements in accordance with the [Iraqi] constitution and agreements and not allow the violation of the Kurdish people’s rights unjustly,” according to the press release published following the meeting.

The government also called on Baghdad to rely on the figures and data that are mentioned in Iraq’s three-year budget.

The Kurdistan Region is entitled to receive about 16.5 trillion Iraqi dinars for 2023, the Council of Ministers said which is in contrast with the latest Iraqi government’s decision to to disburse 500 billion dinars as a “loan” to Erbil.

Since its adoption in early June, KRG have alleged the budget has not been implemented properly by the government. Instead of paying the Kurdish share, they allege Baghdad has released allowances to Erbil in order to cover the public salaries. The KRG has previously said the 500 billion dinars (over $384 million) is not sufficient to pay the 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.

The management of oil and gas has been among the thorny issues between Erbil and Baghdad for over a decade, leading to the suspension of the Region’s share in previous federal budgets.