Iraqi government decides to resume payment of KRG's budgetary share
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government's Council of Ministers on Thursday approved a recent deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over their financial disputes, effectively resuming the payment of the salaries of Kurdistan Region's civil servants, according to a Rudaw reporter.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad escalated in late May after Iraq's federal finance ministry suspended budget transfers to the KRG. The ministry accused the KRG of exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the federal budget and failing to deliver the agreed-upon volume of oil to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO).
The decision effectively halted salary disbursements for over 1.2 million public employees in the Kurdistan Region.
This is a developing story...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rudaw Net
2 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq launches probe into Wasit mall fire that killed 63 Iraq holds nationwide mourning after mall blaze kills 61 At least 50 killed, dozens missing in Iraq shopping mall fire Iraqi PM inaugurates Mosul airport on anniversary of city's liberation from ISIS A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The British Embassy in Baghdad on Friday condemned a recent wave of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region, including strikes that targeted key energy infrastructure, as tensions between Erbil and Baghdad appear to ease following a new financial agreement. 'The UK condemns the recent drone attacks across Iraq, including those this week targeting energy infrastructure in the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq],' the British Embassy said in a statement. 'These attacks threaten civilians' safety, damage Iraq's economy and undermine Iraq's stability.' The embassy urged the Iraqi government to prevent further attacks and hold those responsible to account. In the month of July, there have been at least 19 drone attacks on locations in the Kurdistan Region. Most recently, on Thursday, two explosive-laden drones crashed in Erbil's outskirts, according to the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD). On Wednesday, the CTD reported drone strikes on two oil fields in northern Duhok province. One hit Norwegian energy company DNO's Tawke oil field, prompting the company to temporarily suspend operations. Gulf Keystone Petroleum, which operates the Shekhan field in southern Duhok, also halted operations as a precautionary measure. A day earlier, a drone targeted the Sarsang oil field northwest of Duhok city, operated by US-based HKN Energy. The company suspended activity pending a security review and full damage assessment. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed the attacks on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a charge Baghdad has denied. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to the 'spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll.' The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Rudaw Net
4 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
PUK pushes for new KRG cabinet before Iraq's November vote
Also in Kurdistan Child among 4 dead in Sulaimani traffic accident KRG deputy PM calls on Turkey to lift Sulaimani flight ban Bomb-laden drones crash near Erbil following wave of attacks on energy sites Oil companies condemn attacks on Kurdistan Region fields A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Efforts are underway to form the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) before Iraq's parliamentary elections in November, more than a year after the vote, a senior Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official said on Thursday. Saadi Ahmed Pira, PUK spokesperson, told Rudaw's Zana Kayani that the July 14 meeting between the leaders of his party and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led to 'closer positions on relations with Baghdad and cooperation with other Iraqi parties.' 'I believe this is a positive step that could help us reach a broader agreement on forming the new cabinet and starting parliament's work,' he said. 'I am hopeful and there is also new breath from the KDP as well to form the new Kurdistan Regional Government and activate the parliament before the Iraqi election,' he added. Although parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region were held on October 20, 2024, negotiations between the KDP and PUK on forming a power-sharing government have dragged on for nearly nine months. The parliament has convened only once in that time. Iraq's parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11. Pira said the PUK wants meaningful participation in the new cabinet, even if power is not divided equally. 'We believe we are partners. I don't mean 50-50, but the Union should have a presence in power positions and feel that it participates in governance,' he said. In the elections, no single party won a majority, meaning a governing coalition will have to be formed, as has historically been the case. The KDP won 39 spots in the 100-seat legislature, followed by the PUK with 23. The PUK is seeking roles in the Kurdistan Region Security Council and Ministry of Interior, but remains open to alternative proposals from the KDP. Pira warned that the KDP 'should not monopolize power.' The rival parties did cooperate in order to secure a deal between Erbil and Baghdad on the Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget and payment of public sector salaries, according to Pira. The KRG announced on Wednesday it had reached an understanding with Baghdad over delayed salary payments affecting more than 1.2 million public employees. The agreement followed meetings in Baghdad this week between Kurdish and Iraqi officials. Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad escalated in late May when Iraq's Finance Ministry suspended budget transfers, saying the KRG had received more than its 12.67 percent share and accused it of failing to deliver the agreed volume of oil to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The suspension halted salary payments across the Region. Pira said the KDP and PUK need to work better together in light of recent developments in the Middle East. Kurds in northeast Syria (Rojava) are negotiating about their future with Damascus and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is in peace talks with the Turkish government. 'The situation is changing,' Pira said. 'The Kurdistan Region can play a key role in helping other parts of Kurdistan and resolving their issues through peaceful means. If we cannot resolve our own problems, how can other parts of Kurdistan trust us?' The KDP and PUK, while rivals, have shared power in government since the establishment of the Kurdistan Region in the nineties. For the past several governments, the KDP has held the posts of prime minister and president.
Rudaw Net
8 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Iraq launches probe into Wasit mall fire that killed 63
Also in Iraq Iraq holds nationwide mourning after mall blaze kills 61 At least 50 killed, dozens missing in Iraq shopping mall fire Iraqi PM inaugurates Mosul airport on anniversary of city's liberation from ISIS Cardinal Sako urges Iraqi PM to halt 'violations' against Christian sites in Najaf A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government on Thursday ordered an investigation into a fire at a shopping mall in Wasit province that killed 63 people and promised compensation for victims. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday ordered relevant authorities to 'not show lenience with any negligent party. The measures taken must fit the scale of the incident,' as he announced the start of what he called practical steps in response to the Kornish Hypermarket fire in Kut, the capital city of Wasit. The five-story building, spanning about 350 square meters, went up in flames on Wednesday night. The fire started on the building's second floor, where perfume and cosmetic stores were located, Iraq's civil defense spokesperson Nawas Sabah Shakir told Rudaw. 'Preliminary findings show that the perfumes contributed to the rapid spread of the fire,' he said, noting that most of the victims were on the third, fourth and fifth floors, where they were trapped with no exit route. Most deaths were caused by smoke inhalation. One of the victims was a child and another was a foreign national, Wasit health authorities said. Forty-five people were rescued from the upper floors, according to civil defense teams. Shakir said there were a number of safety violations in the building. The Iraqi Council of Ministers, in an extraordinary meeting, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the fire and identify those responsible for negligence. The committee has been given five days to complete its report and present recommendations to the cabinet. The government agreed to provide 10 million dinars (around $7,600) in compensation for the family of each victim. The health ministry was also instructed to cover medical treatment for the injured, both inside and outside the country. In a broader legal move, the cabinet approved a draft law to expand compensation for victims of multiple recent disasters. The new draft, which will be submitted to parliament, would cover victims of the Kornish fire in Kut along with other tragedies such as the fire in Nineveh's Hamdaniya district in 2023, when more than 130 people died in a wedding hall. It is intended to replace an earlier version of the law that did not include the Kut victims. Separate investigation committees have also been launched by the civil defense directorate, the Wasit provincial government, and the federal integrity commission. Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil al-Mayahi accused the hypermarket owner of bypassing regulations and opening the business illegally just two days before the fire. 'The investor opened the project fraudulently, without obtaining any official permits,' he told reporters in a press conference on Thursday. Wasit Provincial Council on Thursday held a special session and voted to temporarily suspend the directors of Kut municipality and the occupational safety department pending the outcome of investigations. The council also decided to classify those killed in the fire as 'martyrs,' a status that typically allows families access to further compensation and social benefits.
