Banks in Al-Sulaymaniyah begin salaries distribution amid medical preparedness

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Al-Sulaymaniyah governorate banks started the distribution of March salaries to retirees, accompanied by medical teams on standby for emergencies.

According to Shafaq News Agency correspondent, employees and retirees crowded outside government banks to collect their March salaries.

Haji Karzan, a retiree, expressed his astonishment at receiving two salaries within a week, 

"This historic moment has not been witnessed in decades." He said.

In response to previous incidents of elderly retirees passing away while waiting in long queues, Al-Sulaymaniyah Health deployed emergency medical teams across banks to ensure immediate health assistance.

On Thursday, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Finance and Economy released the schedule for distributing March salaries to employees, indicating the Region's efforts to address financial disbursements promptly.

In a statement, the ministry detailed the allocations, which include "salaries for civilian employees, allowances for the disabled under social protection programs, pensions for civilian and military retirees, benefits for martyrs' families, orphans, and contract workers, and regional department allocations."

The disbursement came after KRG and the Iraqi federal government announced a breakthrough agreement on a long-standing dispute regarding public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region.

According to a statement issued by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the agreement marks a significant step towards resolving a key source of tension between Erbil and Baghdad.

Notably, the Kurdish government has faced significant challenges in meeting the timely and complete payment of salaries to its civil servants for the past decade. This financial strain intensified following a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court that suspended the KRG's oil exports to international markets a year ago, exacerbating its financial crisis.

As a result, the KRG has been heavily reliant on local income sources and its allocated share from the federal budget, which has been a subject of controversy. Despite efforts to manage its fiscal situation, the KRG has consistently struggled to meet its salary obligations.

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq's decision worsened the situation by issuing a ruling ordering the "localization" of salaries for all Kurdistan Region employees in federal banks. This decision has resulted in the halt of salary disbursements, leading to numerous strikes across various sectors.