KRG delegation to visit Baghdad for budget implementation talks

The delegation will hold a press conference at the Erbil International Airport (EIA) before leaving for Baghdad.

Kurdistan 24 2023/07/16 12:52

A KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad to discuss outstanding disputes between the KRG and the Iraqi government on Monday, June 6, 2022 (Photo: Hoshmand Sadiq/Kurdistan 24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation is set to visit Baghdad on Sunday afternoon for budget implementation talks, Kurdistan 24 has learned.

The delegation will hold a press conference at the Erbil International Airport (EIA) before leaving for Baghdad, an informed source told Kurdistan 24.

Despite having objectives on certain provisions of the law, which Kurdish leaders cited as undermining the Region's status as a federal entity, Kurdish lawmakers voted to pass the bill in early June following several delays.

Hailed as one of the country’s biggest budgets, the state expenditures set at 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion) with a deficit of more than 64 trillion dinars (over $48 billion).

The Kurdistan Region’s share in the federal budget is set at 12.67 percent, amounting to more than $12 billion annually.

The management of oil and gas has been among the thorny issues between Erbil and Baghdad for over a decade, leading to the suspension of the Region’s share in previous federal budgets.