KRG Delegation Meets Iraq’s Finance Minister to Discuss Nonoil Revenues and Salary Payments
According to information obtained by Kurdistan24, in today’s meeting, discussions are taking place regarding the transfer of the Kurdistan Region’s nonoil revenues, intending to reach an agreement that would serve as the basis for paying the coming month’s salaries.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday started talks in Baghdad with Iraq’s Finance Minister Taif Sami, focusing on nonoil revenues and the disbursement of public sector salaries, Kurdistan24’s correspondent in Baghdad Dilan Barzan reported.
According to information obtained by Kurdistan24, in today’s meeting, discussions are taking place regarding the transfer of the Kurdistan Region’s nonoil revenues, intending to reach an agreement that would serve as the basis for paying the coming month’s salaries.
In its regular weekly session on Tuesday, the Iraqi Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, decided to release the June salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region.
The council confirmed that the payment decision follows recommendations from a special committee formed during its session on July 8. The committee was established on al-Sudani’s suggestion to address salary-related issues between Baghdad and Erbil.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers further emphasized that joint committees from Erbil and Baghdad will continue their work, with a detailed report on broader financial and administrative matters concerning the KRG expected next week.
From the Iraqi side, participants included Finance Minister Taif Sami, Planning Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim, Justice Minister Khalid Shwani, Reconstruction Minister Bangin Rekani, Health Minister Salih Hasnawi, Higher Education Minister Naeem Aboudi, and Industry Minister Khalid Battal.
The KRG delegation was led by Omid Sabah, Chief of the Diwan of the Council of Ministers, accompanied by Secretary of the Council Amanj Rahim, along with eight senior general directors from the Ministries of Finance and Audit.
Tuesday's session of the Iraqi Council of Ministers announced in a statement that the council had decided, in principle, to approve the implementation of Resolution No. (550) of 2025, to provide the salaries of the public employees of the Kurdistan Region for June, following the review of the following points:
- Those committees formed to discuss the allocation of nonoil revenues and the export of Kurdistan Region oil must complete their work, with the condition that each submits a written report within one week to the Council of Ministers of Iraq.
- The team established according to the second section must complete its work within one week, calculating the share of the federal treasury from the nonoil revenues of the Kurdistan Region in accordance with the law. The KRG must provide this share in advance of the amount referred to in Section (1) of the resolution, provided that the calculation mechanism is approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Financial Audit.
- The KRG and oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region must commit to delivering the produced oil in accordance with the provisions of the federal general budget law and Council of Ministers Resolution No. (550) of 2025.
For more than a decade, oil revenues, budget allocations, and the payment of salaries to public servants in the Kurdistan Region have been the most contentious issues between Baghdad and Erbil. Federal governments have blocked Kurdish oil exports and delayed the transfer of budget funds, measures that critics say were systematically designed to weaken the Kurdistan Region economically.
These disputes have not only undermined the Kurdistan Region’s financial stability but also eroded trust between the two sides. Despite constitutional guarantees of autonomy and fiscal rights, Baghdad’s approach has often disregarded the rights of the Kurdistan people.
