PM Barzani: Service Projects Are Our Answer to Critics

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a powerful address at the inauguration of a landmark water project for Erbil, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani declared that his government’s tangible service projects are the definitive answer to "irresponsible questions" and attempts to "mislead the people" about his cabinet’s performance. While launching the first phase of the Erbil Emergency Rapid Water Supply Project on Sunday, the Prime Minister framed the initiative not only as a solution to a critical crisis but as a testament to a service-oriented government fulfilling its duties to the citizens of Kurdistan.

The Prime Minister delivered his speech at a ceremony marking the operational start of a project designed to solve Erbil's water woes for the next 30 years. He began by recounting the urgent need that spurred the initiative and the challenges in bringing it to fruition.

"In the past few years, we felt that the water crisis was a serious one, and people were suffering from it," Prime Minister Barzani said. "On one hand, climate change, insufficient rainfall, falling groundwater levels, and the expansion of Erbil city caused water to become a crisis that demanded serious consideration for a solution."

He explained that the project had previously stalled under a different company. "This is why I asked Kak Khalid to undertake this task—the project that, unfortunately, had not been completed for several years because the previous company failed to fulfill its responsibility," he stated. "I asked Kak Khalid, and he gladly accepted the task, saying, 'God willing, we will implement whatever is within our capabilities.' Less than a year ago, we were here and laid the foundation stone for this strategic project."

A key point of pride for the Prime Minister was the project's local execution. He noted that the first phase was "implemented, truly, in a record time, in the best possible way by a local company, with local engineers, local design, and from what I heard, most of the materials used are also local."

Having delivered on a critical service, Barzani then turned to the citizens, making a direct appeal for their cooperation in preserving the new resource. "Here, I ask my beloved sisters and brothers in the city of Erbil to also fulfill their duties," he urged. "I urge you, do not be wasteful in using water. No matter how much water there is, conserve it; we will need it. This is a civic duty for everyone." He added that the government has future plans for water recycling to reuse treated water for gardens and green spaces.

The Prime Minister then broadened his speech to defend the comprehensive record of his ninth cabinet, positioning the water project as emblematic of a wider agenda.

"From the very beginning of its work until now, the Regional Government, with each ministry at its own level of responsibility, has striven to be a government of service, to serve its people," he affirmed, listing a wide array of sectors from roads and agriculture to digital services, banking, and policing where ministries have worked to fulfill their duties.

It was in this context that he directly addressed his critics.

"Often, things are said, and questions are asked about what the Regional Government has done with its internal revenue," Prime Minister Barzani said. "We will not get into answering those irresponsible questions that are deliberately intended to mislead the people. I just want to say that these kinds of projects are our answer. These kinds of projects are the answer to all the talk from people who want to cast doubt on the service work of the Regional Government."

He pointed to the ongoing "Runaki" (Lighting) project, which aims to provide 24-hour electricity, as another prime example. "I am pleased to see that now the entire city of Erbil and large parts of the cities of Sulaimani and Duhok have 24-hour electricity," he announced, stating that over two million people now benefit and that 80 percent of subscribers are paying less than before.

He refuted allegations that the program was rerouting power from other areas. "Sometimes, again, things are said, alleging that the 24-hour electricity comes at the expense of reducing electricity in other places, which is not true at all," he clarified. "The 24-hour electricity project is about increasing the hours of electricity for all of Kurdistan." He confirmed the plan is for the project to cover all of Kurdistan by next year, expressing a hope that issues like power cuts and generator noise "become part of history."

Less than a year ago, we promised to solve Erbil's water shortage for the next 30 years with a $480 million investment. Today, we delivered on that promise.

Clean 24-hour water now flows to neighborhoods in Erbil in the first phase of the Emergency Water Project. pic.twitter.com/YRcjCwAjpE

— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) July 20, 2025