Exclusive: Kurdish Finance Ministry delegation in Baghdad to address salary issues
Shafaq News/ On Monday, a Kurdish delegation from the Ministry of Finance in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) arrived in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.
Our correspondent reported that the delegation will meet with relevant parties in the Federal Ministry of Finance “to address employees' and pensioners' salary issues and discuss the implementation of the Federal Retirement Law.”
On Saturday, Atwan Al-Atwani, head of the Iraqi Parliamentary Finance Committee, informed Shafaq News Agency that the delegation will evaluate the agreements between the federal and Kurdistan Regional Governments, focusing on the Regional Government's commitments and guarantees for the federal one to disburse the KRI's salaries.
Earlier, the Federal Economic Council visited Erbil to address financial challenges, including employees' salary payments.
Finance Minister Taif Sami, a council member, noted that the joint meeting between the Iraqi and Kurdistan Economic Councils focused on these challenges to find solutions to mutual concerns.
Notably, employees in the Region have faced ongoing delays in monthly salaries for years. The crisis is rooted in financial problems, including the global drop in oil prices and the Kurdish financial burden from the fight against ISIS.
Despite the Federal Court recognizing Baghdad's obligation to pay salaries regularly, problems with salary distribution continue, with some attributing them to political rather than financial factors.