KRG delegation in Baghdad to negotiate KRG budget share

KRG delegation in Baghdad to negotiate KRG budget share

kurdsatnews

Nov 27, 2022

KRG delegating at the Erbil International Airport travelling to Baghdad, November 27, 2022.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Jutyar Adel told the KRG Media and Information department today, Sunday, that “following a KRG council of minister’s decision, a delegation visits Baghdad to guarantee the rights of Kurdistan region citizens, as stipulated in the constitution.” Negotiations between the federal government and the government in Erbil has been ongoing for the last few years without yielding constructive results.

“We are scheduled to meet with the Iraqi Ministry of Finance to talk on the 2023 Iraqi budget bill,” Adel added. Baghdad has not paid the Kurdistan region’s budget share properly since 2014, after a dispute between Baghdad and Erbil, for almost six years it did pay the region anything.

Adel explained that the Kurdistan region aims to influence the budget bill before its moves to the house of representatives.

The spokesperson also said that the delegation also plans to discuss with the Iraqi government officials on the basis of the constitution, the issue of Article 140, the handling of oil and gas, and the “rightful participation” of the Kurdistan Region in federal institutions.

The Kurdistan region’s rightful share of the budget is 17 percent, though, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning says that the KRG’s share would be 14% and the delegation will agree on these figures, per KRG spokesperson.

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