KRG Council of Ministers Reviews Oil Exports, Non-Oil Revenues, and Salary Payments

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers to discuss key financial and economic issues, including oil exports, non-oil revenues, and the disbursement of public sector salaries.

The first item on the agenda focused on the latest developments regarding oil exports and the financial entitlements of the KRG. Prime Minister Barzani stressed that the Kurdistan Region has met all its constitutional obligations and shown flexibility in addressing technical obstacles that have delayed salary payments.

Cabinet Secretary Amanj Raheem presented a report outlining the latest joint proposal between the KRG and the federal government, which was endorsed during Tuesday’s Iraqi Council of Ministers meeting. The agreement supports handing over all oil produced in the region to Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), except for domestic consumption, pending the signing of a trilateral oil export agreement.

Until that agreement is finalized, the Kurdistan Region will transfer its oil share to the Federal Oil Ministry. The Council of Ministers instructed the Minister of Natural Resources and the negotiating delegation to take the necessary steps to implement the decision.

The KRG reaffirmed its legal and constitutional position, citing the Federal Supreme Court’s Decision No. 224 of Feb. 21, 2024, which classifies domestic revenues and outlines their distribution between the federal and regional treasuries.

The Iraqi Ministry of Finance is expected to immediately release the delayed July and August salaries for the Kurdistan Region. Following the discussions, the Council reiterated its support for the joint decision and emphasized that the federal government should ensure the regular payment of salaries in the coming months.

Senior officials, including President of the Diwan of Council of Ministers Umed Sabah and Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Mohammad Salih, also provided details on the recent negotiations and legal frameworks underpinning the agreement.

In a second agenda item, the Council addressed financial coordination with Baghdad, particularly tax policies. The meeting reviewed previous discussions with the Iraqi General Taxation Board and underlined the importance of cooperation between federal and regional tax offices.

The Council stressed that the Kurdistan Region, as a federal entity, retains the constitutional right to exercise its powers while continuing to strengthen coordination with federal institutions.