PUK Lawmaker: Salaries Not Hostage to Oil Disputes

PUKMEDIA

PUK Lawmaker Harem Kamal Agha

Progress is being made towards resolving the long-standing issue of funding public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region, as discussions between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government continue, particularly around the resumption of oil exports.

Harem Kamal Agha, Head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, told PUKMEDIA that positive steps have been taken in negotiations and expressed hope that an agreement would be reached soon. “There is encouraging progress in the talks between Erbil and Baghdad, and we are optimistic that the issue will be resolved, as there is good mutual understanding,” he said.

He stressed that the salaries of the Region’s civil servants must not be sacrificed to the demands of oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region. “It is unacceptable for employees’ salaries to become hostages to the interests of oil companies. These companies must recognise the gravity of the matter. The constitution and Federal Court rulings provide a legal basis for resolving the financial disputes between the two governments,” he added.

Agha identified the allocation of shares to oil companies, the handling of non-oil revenues, and the halted oil exports as the core points of contention. “These are the main obstacles contributing to the financial deadlock, and current negotiations are focused on addressing these challenges,” he explained.

He emphasised that the most viable solution lies in reaching a formal agreement with Baghdad and resuming oil exports through the State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO), in accordance with Iraq’s constitution and the Financial Management Law.

Talks between the KRG and federal authorities are ongoing in both Erbil and Baghdad, with a series of successive meetings held in recent days. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that both sides have reached promising understandings concerning the disbursement of salaries and the mechanism for restarting oil exports from the region.

Meanwhile, public employees in the Kurdistan Region continue to face delays. Over 50 days have passed since they and retirees received their April salaries. The federal government transferred April salary funds to the region on 13 May 2025, which were subsequently distributed, but no date has yet been set for the release or distribution of May salaries. The regional Ministry of Finance has yet to announce whether salaries will be funded through federal allocations or internal revenues.



PUKMEDIA