Iraqi PM acknowledges ongoing revenue and customs issues with Kurdistan Region
Speaking after attending a session of the Iraqi Parliament, al-Sudani highlighted the financial challenges faced by the Kurdistan Region, noting that it requires 950 billion Iraqi dinars ($725.01 million) monthly to cover expenses.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday acknowledged that longstanding issues related to non-oil revenues, border crossings, and customs between Erbil and Baghdad remain unresolved.
Speaking after attending a session of the Iraqi Parliament, al-Sudani highlighted the financial challenges faced by the Kurdistan Region, noting that it requires 950 billion Iraqi dinars ($725.01 million) monthly to cover expenses. However, only 763 billion Iraqi dinars ($582.30 million) are currently available.
"Salary is not a political issue," al-Sudani emphasized, expressing hope that amendments to the budget law and the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region would help address the disputes.
The Iraqi Parliament convened on Wednesday to discuss four critical legislative items, including measures aimed at restarting oil exports from the Kurdistan Region. The resumption of these exports is seen as a pivotal step toward resolving financial disagreements between Erbil and Baghdad.
The unresolved issues have been a point of contention for years, affecting economic stability and the relationship between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement have intensified amid ongoing financial constraints.
