Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) asserted on Wednesday that the Iraqi government is obligated to disburse the Kurdistan's salaries promptly, akin to other Iraqi regions, following the Federal Financial Supervision Bureau's verification of the number of employees and salary structures in Kurdistan.

The Council of Ministers convened its weekly meeting earlier today, chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and attended by Deputy Speaker Qubad Talabani, to address a range of crucial agenda items.

According to a statement released by the Council, the meeting reviewed the outcomes of the joint meeting held on July 18 between the Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament and the KRG delegation headed by the Minister of Finance and Economy. The meeting provided necessary clarifications, supported by figures, numbers, and accurate data, regarding the financial situation and the issue of Kurdistan Region salaries.

The KRG delegation indicated that it submitted a comprehensive 30-page report during the Parliamentary Finance Committee meeting, encompassing precise figures and data. The report addressed all queries related to the budget, revenues, expenditures, oil, border crossings, the joint audit process of the federal and regional financial oversight bodies, and the issue of public staffing and salaries.

The Council of Ministers instructed the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the negotiating delegation to maintain ongoing communication with the Parliamentary Finance Committee and the Ministry of Finance in the federal government, particularly regarding the isolation of the Region's salary allocations from the actual spending standard, similar to other Iraqi regions, and the amendment of relevant articles in the budget law.

The salaries issue between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region has been a source of tension for many years. The KRG argues that the federal government has a constitutional obligation to provide the Region with sufficient funds to pay its civil servants. The federal government, on the other hand, says that the KRG has not complied with all of its obligations under the constitution, such as sharing oil revenues and border crossings.

In recent years, the KRG has struggled to pay its civil servants on time and in full. This has led to protests and social unrest in the Region. In 2023, the Iraqi government agreed to loan the KRG additional funds to pay salaries, but this has not been enough to solve the problem.