"The contractor came, introduced himself and promised that he would start [working to pave the road] this week. Later, he said they [the federal government] are not paying him. Therefore, he suspended the project," Omer Ahmed, a resident of the neighborhood, told Rudaw.
Some pipes have been laying on the ground for over five months ago for the neighborhood’s sewerage repair project, but work has stalled because the contractors have not been paid.
The contractors union has warned that it will stage a demonstration in the middle of next month if the Iraqi government does not spend money for the suspended projects.
Nawzad Anwer, president of Kirkuk Branch of Contractors Union, warns that if their demands are not met they will suspends all projects.
"More than 400 projects have been suspended. The intention behind the protest scheduled for January 15 is that if the government doesn’t meet our demands, we will halt all projects in Kirkuk, which will have negative consequences for the people of Kirkuk and the administration," he said.
The Kirkuk administration has asked the ministry of finance to send them cash to complete the much-needed projects.
