ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s finance ministry on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to paying the Kurdistan Region’s budget, despite claims that Erbil has failed to transfer non-oil revenues. The statement follows criticism from Kurdish officials accusing Baghdad of unfairness and belittling the region’s issue solely on salary payments while broader disputes remain unresolved. “The finance ministry is committed to sending funds to the regional government and to all categories (pensioners, social protection, civil and military employees) despite the region's non-commitment to sending non-oil revenues,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that it “sends the salaries of the region on a monthly basis to the regional government” but claimed the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) “has not committed to distributing the salaries on a monthly basis.” It further noted that they “are not responsible for the failure to pay the salaries of the Kurdistan Region’s employees on time.” Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday accused the federal government of reducing longstanding disputes between Erbil and Baghdad to the payment of salaries. He called on Kurdish ministers and lawmakers to advocate for the Region's rights and financial entitlements. Barzani highlighted unresolved issues, including the status of disputed territories and the lack of compensation for victims of the previous Iraqi regime. Salaries have been a priority for many people since the KRG has failed to pay the wages of its large civil servant workforce on-time and in-full for a decade due to a financial crisis that worsened when its oil exports stopped in March 2023 following a court ruling on a dispute between Iraq and Turkey over the Kurdistan Region’s independent oil sales. Erbil is now dependent on local income sources and its controversial federal budget share. Baghdad has not yet paid the December salaries of Kurdistan Region’s civil servants and it remains unclear when the payment will be made. On Sunday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani traveled to Baghdad to participate in a meeting of the ruling State Administration Coalition with senior Iraqi politicians to address ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.
