State of Law bloc to reduce KRG proportion

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – The State of Law bloc in the Iraqi parliament revealed that they are trying to send a letter to Iraqi president to reduce the KRG proportion in the Iraqi budget for 2016 from seventeen percent to thirteen percent.

On December 20, Ibtisam Hilaly, an Iraqi parliament member from the State of Law bloc announced that before the Iraqi budget law is approved by the president, a letter has been sent asking Iraqi president Fuad Masum to reduce the Kurdistan Region’s share in the federal budget.

According to Kurdish MPs in the Iraqi parliament, the seventeen percent share of Kurdistan Region has been guaranteed in the Iraqi budget law for 2016, though as the Shiite MP stated they are trying to reduce it to thirteen percent.

Hilaly also added, “In order to reduce the Kurdistan Region budget share, the State of Law bloc will appeal to the Iraqi president.”

She also stated that they are trying to collect signatures in the parliament to reduce the budget.

On Wednesday, December 18, Iraqi Council of Representative approved the budget bill for 2016 worth 106 trillion IQD ($91 billion). The seventeen percent of KRG’s share was also approved by the majority.

Faris Brifkani, a Kurdish MP in the Iraqi parliament, previously told K24 that the Kurdistan Region’s seventeen percent share in the Iraq’s budget for 2016 was approved, despite attempts by the State of Law Coalition MPs to reduce the region’s proportion to thirteen percent.