Controversy persists over the region's budget share, MP says

Shafaq News/ Jamal Kocher, Member of the Finance Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, said on Wednesday that the Controversy around Kurdistan's share of the Federal Budget persists with no alternative formula offered by the Shiite blocs.

Kocher said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency, "differences and talks between Kurdistan's delegation and the Shiite bloc are living on. Scheduling the voting session revolves around the results of these talks."

"Kurdistan delegation is still in Baghdad negotiating with the Shiite political blocs to reach an agreement and settle the issue of the region's share," he continued, "the talks were tabled until next week."

"The Parliamentary Finance Committee completed all the budget law items except the item related to Baghdad-Erbil agreement on Kurdistan's share."

Last December, the government of Iraq and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have reached an agreement on Erbil's contribution to the 2021 federal budget.

The deal includes transferring 250,000 barrels per day (BPD) from the oil-producing region to Iraq's national budget and half of the border-crossings revenues in exchange for 12.6% of the Federal Budget.

However, even after shaking hands over the agreement, some Shiite blocs in Parliament had a second thought and stalled its submissions to the Parliament.