Al-Sudani briefed on Kurdistan Region employees’ salaries crisis updates

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Deputy Finance Minister, Ribaz Hamlan, announced on Tuesday, that he discussed the issue of salaries for Kurdistan Region employees with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, and revealed that a meeting is scheduled in Baghdad in two days between a Kurdish delegation and the federal ministry.

In a statement, Hamlan said he had conveyed a message from Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to Al-Sudani, which was presented during a recent extraordinary session of the Kurdistan Regional Government on the salary crisis.

Hamlan explained that he detailed to the prime minister the "steps being taken by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Ministry of Finance daily, in the presence of representatives from the federal Ministry of Finance," adding that the salaries of regional employees are significantly delayed.

He emphasized that "Kurdistan's demand is within the framework of the constitution, treating it as a region, and in line with the budget law and the decisions of the Federal Court, to be implemented as they are regarding the region’s financial entitlements."

“All parties are awaiting the outcome of the upcoming meeting on Friday in Baghdad between delegations from the Kurdistan Region Government and the federal Ministry of Finance” the statement concluded.

The salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region dates back to 2014, when disagreements between the federal government in Baghdad and the KRG over the management of oil and budget issues escalated. The situation was further exacerbated by the war against ISIS, falling oil prices, and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Baghdad stopped sending the region's share of the budget, prompting the KRG to begin exporting oil independently. This dispute led to disruptions in salary payments, sparking a series of delays and financial backlogs. Since then, several attempts have been made to find a compromise, notably financial agreements stipulating the region’s share of the budget in exchange for its commitment to exporting a specific amount of oil. However, these agreements have not been fully implemented due to ongoing mistrust and political disagreements between the two sides.

As the dispute persists, the region’s citizens bear the greatest burden, with increasing calls from political and economic activists for the implementation of Federal Court rulings, which affirm citizens' right to receive their salaries without delay. The biggest challenge remains finding a final solution that ensures sustainable salary payments and removes the issue from political considerations.