KRG delegation to visit Baghdad for budget discussions

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation is set to visit Baghdad on Saturday afternoon to continue its discussions on the financial issues between Erbil and the federal government, Kurdistan24 has learned.

The delegation is headed by KRG Minister of Finance and Economy Awat Sheik Janab and will stay in the Iraqi capital for a few days.

The Kurdish share in the federal budget as well as amending the three-year budget are part of the meetings' agenda along with the hydrocarbon bill that is currently being prepared by the federal government.

The upcoming delegation is the first of its kind in 2024.

Although the Kurdish region has transferred the agreed-upon amount, Baghdad has paid far less than what it had initially committed itself to, according to KRG officials.

Since its adoption in early June, KRG diplomats have alleged the budget has not been implemented properly by the government. Instead of paying the Kurdish share, they allege Baghdad has released allowances to Erbil to cover public salaries. The KRG has previously said the 500 billion dinars (over $384 million) provided by Baghdad thus far is not sufficient to pay the salaries.

Hailed as one of the country’s biggest budgets, the state expenditures were 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.