Kurdistan share remains disputed in Iraq’s 2027 budget

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A broad agreement on Iraq's draft 2027 federal budget remains out of reach, with the Kurdistan Region's (KRI) allocation among the disputed issues, a parliamentary Finance Committee member told Shafaq News on Sunday.

MP Ekhlas Al-Dulaimi estimated Erbil's share at 12.8 trillion dinars ($8.48 billion) out of the proposed 217 trillion dinars ($143.71 billion) budget —about 6%, rather than 12.67%.

No date has been set for its submission, pending a political agreement and government approval.

The draft was presented at Saturday's State Administration Coalition meeting, but Baghdad and Erbil remain at odds over the KRI's allocation, with further amendments needed before an agreement can be reached, Al-Dulaimi said.

Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) urged Baghdad to base its budget allocation on the KRI's 14.14% share of Iraq's population, according to its interpretation of the 2024 census, rather than the 12.67% set under the current federal budget framework.

Read more: Erbil-Baghdad disputes: A cycle of missed opportunities and deep-seated divides