No Resolution on Kurdistan Salaries as Baghdad Forms New Committee

Iraqi PM’s media office

Iraqi Council of Ministers’ meeting.

The regular weekly meeting of the Iraqi Council of Ministers concluded on the evening of Tuesday, 8 July 2025, without reaching any resolution concerning the salaries of public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region.

In this context, Karwan Yarwais, rapporteur for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc, told PUKMEDIA: “The Iraqi Council of Ministers did not take any decisions regarding the salaries of Kurdistan Region employees during today’s session. Instead, it resolved to form a committee comprising five ministers — justice, finance, health, planning, and higher education — to examine the proposals put forward by both the federal and regional governments on matters such as oil, salaries, revenues, and resettlement.”

He added: “The committee is expected to begin its work shortly, and a joint draft combining the two proposals will be prepared and presented to the Council of Ministers during a special session.”

It has now been nearly 60 days since employees in the Kurdistan Region last received their April salaries. The federal Ministry of Finance transferred the funds to the Kurdistan Region on 13 May, and the regional Ministry of Finance distributed them within four days. Since then, employees have been awaiting their May salaries.

Public sector workers and pensioners in the Kurdistan Region had hoped that this week’s meetings between delegations from both governments would yield a decision regarding the dispatch and distribution of salaries. However, the issue remains unresolved due to ongoing disagreements between the two sides.

Federal Finance Minister Taif Sami sent an official letter to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) via its representative office in Baghdad, stating that the ministry is “unable” to continue financing the region, as it has already surpassed the 12.67% share stipulated in the federal budget law — having disbursed 13.547 trillion dinars in total actual expenditure. Letter No. 14502, dated 28 May 2025 and signed by the Minister, further stated that although the Kurdistan Region’s oil and non-oil revenues from 2023 until April of this year amounted to 19.9 trillion dinars, only 598.5 billion dinars had been transferred to the federal government.



PUKMEDIA