Latest news with #TaifSami
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq's Federal Court throws out lawsuits on Kurdistan salaries
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Monday dismissed two lawsuits concerning the disbursement of salaries in the Kurdistan Region, citing a lack of jurisdiction in both cases. The first suit (No. 107) targeted Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Finance Minister Taif Sami, demanding a ruling to keep employee salaries in the Region insulated from political dispute and the current agreement between Baghdad and Erbil. A second lawsuit (No. 104), also against Minister Sami, sought to compel the federal government to release monthly payments to public servants, retirees, families of martyrs, and recipients of social support—regardless of disagreements over the Budget Law or other related issues.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraqi lawmaker: Finance Minister unaware of budget details
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami lacks knowledge of the 2025 federal budget tables, an Iraqi MP claimed on Saturday, criticizing parliament's approval of the three-year Budget Law as a mistake. The Member of Iraq's Parliamentary Finance Committee, Faisal al-Naeli, told Shafaq News that the three-year budget experiment was flawed, adding that it burdened the Iraqi people and government employees, depriving them of financial and career entitlements. The finance minister informed the committee that the ministry is currently paying obligations related to the 2023 budget, Al-Naeli stated, noting, 'Everyone is looking for the 2025 budget tables, yet no one knows where they are or when they will be sent to parliament.' Earlier, fellow committee member Saad al-Toubi told Shafaq News that Sami informed members during a session that a special committee—formed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani—had been tasked with drafting the tables. Finance Committee Chairman Atwan al-Atwani criticized the government last Sunday for failing to send the tables to parliament, warning that the delay has negatively impacted wide segments of the Iraqi population.
Shafaq News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan's salary crisis since May 2025: What We Know So Far?
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Erbil Since May 2025, the Kurdistan Region has been grappling with a deepening salary crisis following a decision by Iraq's Ministry of Finance to suspend salary transfers to the Region. The ministry cited that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had exceeded its allocated federal budget share. According to official data, the KRG's actual expenditures reached 13.547 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $10.23 billion), surpassing the 12.67% share stipulated in the 2023–2025 federal budget law. The move drew strong criticism from the KRG, which accused the Iraqi government of pursuing 'deliberate starvation and systematic extermination' policies against the Kurdish population. The crisis intensified tensions between the two sides over financial entitlements and constitutional responsibilities. A step toward resolution came on July 16, when Baghdad and the KRG reached a financial agreement focused on public sector salaries. The deal linked salary disbursement to the Kurdistan Region's compliance with federal oil export mandates. KRG welcomed the new deal. As of July 17, the Iraqi government required the KRG to deliver all oil production to the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO). Under the agreement, the KRG must export a minimum of 230,000 barrels per day, with additional production also included. In exchange, the Ministry of Finance would provide an advance of $16 per barrel, either in cash or in kind, in accordance with the revised budget law. If exports are halted for any reason, the same quantity must be delivered directly to the federal Ministry of Oil. Additionally, 50,000 barrels per day will be allocated for local use within the Kurdistan Region. The KRG is responsible for production and transport costs, while revenues from refined product sales must be transferred to the federal treasury after deductions. To help meet local fuel needs, the Ministry of Oil is also expected to supply the Region with refined fuel equivalent to 15,000 barrels of crude per day, based on a joint assessment within two weeks. The agreement also required the KRG to transfer 120 billion Iraqi dinars in non-oil revenues for the month of May. The Ministry of Finance stated that salary disbursement would not begin until confirmation of full oil quota delivery via SOMO—through the port of Ceyhan in Turkiye—and receipt of the non-oil funds. On July 19, Finance Minister Taif Sami addressed the Iraqi Parliament's Finance Committee, reaffirming that disbursement of May salaries remains conditional upon full compliance with the terms of the agreement. In line with these conditions, the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Finance and Economy announced on July 22 that it had deposited the May non-oil revenues—amounting to 120 billion dinars—into the federal government's account at the Erbil branch of the Central Bank of Iraq.
Shafaq News
20-07-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Finance Minister: Iraq's 2025 Budget Law under committee review
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami informed lawmakers on Sunday that a special committee, formed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is currently drafting the tables of the 2025 Federal Budget Law. Saad al-Tobi from the Parliamentary Finance Committee explained to Shafaq News that the draft tables will be sent to the Cabinet for approval before heading to Parliament. 'Information on revenues and expenditures remains limited,' he added. 'The documents will be ready for submission next month.' Earlier today, Parliament hosted Sami to discuss the delay in submitting the budget tables to the legislature. The appearance followed a formal request by Finance Committee Chair Atwan al-Atwani and, according to a parliamentary source, covered the implementation of the government program and the execution of the 2023–2025 Budget Law.
Rudaw Net
29-06-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Two Iraqi delegations to arrive in Erbil to resolve financial disputes with KRG
Also in Iraq KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad amid efforts to resolve financial disputes Iraq's Victory Coalition to skip election Iraq's marshlands are drying up Sistani rep warns Iraqis to remain vigilant despite Iran-Israel truce A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two separate delegations from Baghdad are set to arrive in Erbil soon to discuss financial disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a well-placed source told Rudaw on Thursday. A technical delegation was en route to Erbil at the time of writing while a high-profile and decision-making delegation is set to arrive in the Kurdish capital on Monday, the source said on the condition of anonymity. Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami informed the KRG late May that it could no longer pay the regional government's share from the federal budget, claiming that the funds allocated to the KRG had been exhausted. Erbil has denied the claim, accusing Baghdad of failing to adhere to a February ruling by the federal supreme court which stipulates that the KRG's share should not be impacted by political disputes. The technical delegation will discuss the method of calculating the federal government's share of non-oil revenues that the Kurdistan Region delivers monthly to Baghdad. Federal oil ministry representatives will also discuss with the Kurdish oil officials the obstacles to Kurdistan Region oil exports and company conditions for those exports. Exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023, following a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court that found Turkey had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing independent exports from Erbil. The other delegation is scheduled to visit the Kurdistan Region on Monday. This is a high-level delegation including representatives from the Iraqi oil and finance ministries and other senior officials to discuss the issues and how to resolve them based on the technical committee's report. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani hoped on Wednesday that the high-level delegation's visit would resolve the disputes. In February, the Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the federal budget law, including a $16-per-barrel fee for production and transport costs for international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Kurdistan Region. The amendments also require both sides to establish an international technical consultancy within 60 days to assess oil production and transportation costs. If no agreement is reached, the federal council of ministers should appoint the consultancy. Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article.
