KRG says it has enough income to pay salaries of civil servants

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) convened on Wednesday, where it decided to pay the salaries of its employees for the month of February after collecting enough income, according to a statement issued shortly after the meeting.

The KRG has failed to pay the salaries of its civil servants in full and on time for years due to the financial crisis. The salaries of several months were not paid at all. 

After weeks of delay, the KRG began paying the salaries of the health and Peshmerga ministries for February over the last few days. However, it was not clear when other ministries would be paid as the government had previously announced it did not have enough money to pay the salaries.

Baghdad reportedly decided on Tuesday to resume the sending of 200 billion dinars ($136 million) to Erbil in the coming days for the first time in 2022. 

On Wednesday, the KRG said it had collected enough income to pay all ministries, adding that the payment will continue even during the Newroz holiday next week. 

The KRG's delay of the payment of salaries caused strikes in areas of the Region. 

Some parliamentarians claim that the KRG intentionally delays the payment of the salaries, adding that part of the local income goes to the ruling parties, rather than the government.