PM Barzani talks achievements despite federal pressure

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani highlighted on Wednesday the continuous efforts of the regional government in providing for its citizens despite the federal government not fulfilling its financial obligations, he spoke during the third anniversary of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) current cabinet. 

Masrour Barzani said the Kurdistan Region "continued to pay salaries" despite having an insufficient budget to pay full salaries periodically, blaming the difficulties on Baghdad as "it did not send the 200 billion IQD required to complete payments of public salaries" and failed to maintain its financial obligations towards the Region long-term.

During the speech, Barzani discussed an array of issues that the KRG’s ninth cabinet has found success in dealing with, including administrative and financial reforms, electricity supply, diplomacy, defense, education, and many more.

"We managed to get through a difficult period with limited revenues and without taking any loans," he continued, adding that his cabinet reduced pressure on future generations by not borrowing money and "recently repaid more than a billion dollars of debt."

Baghdad has notably mounted pressure on Erbil through a top court ruling that created far-reaching consequences on its authority to administer its oil and gas law, but Barzani affirmed his government's policy to continue resolving outstanding issues and protect the Kurdistan Region's constitutional rights.

Iraq's top court in February found the Kurdistan Region's oil and gas law to be "unconstitutional," therefore striking down the legal basis of the Region's oil and gas sector, a decision repeatedly slammed by Kurdish leaders, including Barzani, who criticized the "unconstitutional court" and said the ruling "is a gross violation of the Iraqi Constitution designed to cause us serious economic and political harm."

Iraq's oil minister on July 7 told AP that his ministry intends to give international oil companies (IOCs) who have signed deals with the KRG a cautionary note.

"We will give them a soft message: 'You are working in the smuggling of oil.' If they are a respectful company they will listen to us," Ihsan Abdul Jabbar firmly stated, marking the strongest remarks yet by a senior government official since the issuing of the federal court decision.

The Kurdistan Region receiving its share of the national budget is dependent on Erbil fulfilling its commitments, which include handing over 250,000 barrels of oil per day, paying back money previously borrowed from the Iraqi Trade Bank, sending non-oil revenues, and prioritizing paying the salaries of its civil servants and Peshmerga forces before any other spending.

Barzani furthermore praised the ongoing digitalization of many government services, saying "we have reached milestones in becoming an e-government" and noting the creation of a data center "as well as establishing a system of digital census for the Kurdistan Region."

The premier also touched on "increasing electricity production using solar energy, flared gas, and energy sources that reduce the price of electricity generation."

Gas flaring is a major nuisance in the Kurdistan Region, with residents that live close to flaring sites often suffering from deteriorating health. The Region's flaring directive deadline to phase out gas flaring is fast approaching, and data suggests that the KRG is unlikely to meet the deadline.

The flaring process is when oil wells burn the excess gas they can't store or use, and is a convenient way to deal with the waste product known as associated petroleum gas.

Barzani also touched on his recent "campaign to eradicate unlicensed weapons," where he ordered the interior ministry to attend to the closure of all markets selling firearms as well as the seizure of unlicensed weapons. The decision came amidst an unprecedented surge in gun violence in the Kurdistan Region.

The directive came followed calls for major reform in the Kurdistan Region, with the ease of obtaining unlicensed firearms, including sniper rifles and machine guns from the black market, being a key factor in the escalation of gun violence.

An estimated 70 percent of people in the Kurdistan Region own weapons.

The prime minister concluded by saying that all the aforementioned points, as well as many more, "were a summary of a number of government programs which will be presented in detail by our ministers."

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