Friday, January 31, 2025
KRG, Baghdad Delegations Continue Negotiations on Salaries, Budget, 31 JAN
KRG, Baghdad Delegations Continue Negotiations on Salaries, Budget
Jan. 31, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A meeting between delegations from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq concluded on Friday, as discussions centered on critical budget and salary issues for the Kurdistan Region.
While no ultimate agreement was reached, officials reported important progress, and negotiations are set to continue.
Kurdistan24 correspondent Dylan Barzan reported from Baghdad that the meeting, primarily planned to take place at the residence of Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, was relocated to the Baghdad Hotel due to the large number of participants from both sides.
The meeting was chaired by Fuad Hussein, who also serves as Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Financial Affairs.
Key Discussion Points
According to Kurdistan24 sources, the discussions revolved around three primary financial matters:
Determining the total funds required by the KRG Ministry of Finance to cover employee salaries for the entirety of 2025.
Separating the pension list for employees reaching the retirement age of 60 this year, ensuring they receive their 12-month retirement compensation.
Preparing the salary review balance for December 2024 to facilitate accurate financial planning.
Ongoing Talks and Mutual UnderstandingV
Following the meeting at Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, KRG Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab addressed reporters, expressing optimism concerning the discussions.
“Our meetings with the Iraqi delegation will continue tomorrow,” Janab stated. “We discussed the salary distribution schedule, employee and retiree lists, and there is a positive mutual understanding. We hope that tomorrow’s session will lead to the resolution of outstanding issues and the disbursement of necessary funds.”
The three-hour meeting denoted a crucial step in the ongoing negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad.
The Kurdistan Region has recurrently urged a clear financial mechanism to ensure the timely and consistent payment of public sector salaries, an issue that has been a longstanding point of contention between the two governments.
Path Forward
While no definitive resolution was reached in Friday’s meeting, the commitment to additional negotiations indicates a positive approach to tackling the financial challenges facing the Kurdistan Region.
The continuance of discussions on Saturday is likely to bring further clarity to the budgetary framework and salary disbursement mechanisms, with both sides expressing a willingness to find a sustainable solution.
TIDBIT FROM MAJEED, 31 JAN
MAJEED
Just imagine your government willingly send $10 billion to Iran plus the smuggled oil to Iran…. For no reason at all.
While hard-working people in Kurdistan work their asses off for a whole month
By the end of the month
The Iraqi government would say
“ yeah I know you worked hard… but I don’t see You deserve your salary to be paid that early…. Let me delay your salary for a month or two”
Just imagine an employee in Kurdistan
People in Kurdistan been suffering, the same pain for 10 years
These people have kids at home to feed
Decisive” meeting in Baghdad on the salaries of employees of the Kurdistan Region, 31 JAN
Decisive” meeting in Baghdad on the salaries of employees of the Kurdistan Region
Shafak News / The delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government is scheduled to hold a meeting with the federal government in the capital on the salaries of employees on Friday.
The correspondent of Shafak News Agency said that the meeting will begin after 1 p.m. at the home of Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein, where the regional government delegation consists of about 20 people headed by the Minister of Finance of Kurdistan with the participation of many directors general in the ministry.
He added that the meeting will include a discussion of December 2024 salaries and 2025 salaries.
The roots of the salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region date back to 2014, when the differences between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government escalated over the management of the two budget oil files, in addition to the consequences of the war on ISIS and the decline in oil prices and the subsequent invasion of the Corona pandemic in the world.
Baghdad stopped sending the region’s share of the budget, and the regional government responded by exporting oil independently, and this conflict led to disruption in the mechanisms of paying salaries, starting a series of delays and financial accumulations.
Since that time, there have been many attempts to find compromises between the two parties, most notably the financial agreements that provided for the disbursement of the region’s share of the budget in exchange for its commitment to export specific quantities of oil, although these agreements have not been fully implemented due to continued lack of trust and political differences between the two sides.
As the differences continue, citizens in the region bear the greatest burden, as calls have recently increased from political and economic activists for the need to implement the decisions of the Federal Court, which affirmed the right of citizens to receive their salaries without any delay, while the biggest challenge remains to find a final solution that ensures the sustainability of the payment of salaries and the removal of its file from politicization.
https://shafaq.com/ar/سیاسة/اجتماع-حاسم-في-بغداد-بش-ن-رواتب-موظفي-قليم-كوردستان
EXCERPTS FROM MARKZ, 31 JAN
EXCERPTS FROM MARKZ
Member: Another Intel person says IQD rate being 4.75 and contract rate at 5.19. And possible announcement on Saturday.
Member: Majeed is indicating Iraq Forex this Weekend!
Member: That would be amazing.
MZ: I am hearing they have sped things up massively in the last 10 days.
Member: With Kuwait having the highest currency in the world, it makes no sense for Iraq to revalue at a rate too much higher than Kuwait.
Member: Mark why hasn’t 4b got notifications for the rv? what are your thoughts on when it would happen?
MZ: I have zero bond updates today. This may have been one of the longest stretches I have seen in weeks with nothing on that front. Same with PP’s CMKX ect…..contacts are not sharing information. They have really tightened up the lips. Zipped the lips
Member: Maybe that is good news then?
MZ: We are hearing in Iraq some kind of agreement was reached with Sudani and crew and they are expecting fireworks on Friday –or completion in the voting……That is what I was told this morning from a contact in Iraq. We will see how this plays out.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)