Peregraf
Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami has signed off on the payment of April salaries for public sector employees in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a source in Baghdad told Peregraf on Monday. The decision follows weeks of delay and mounting tensions between Baghdad and Erbil over financial transparency and oil exports.
Although April has long passed and May is already underway, KRG employees have yet to receive their salaries for the previous month. The delay stems from a standoff between the Iraqi Ministry of Finance and the KRG, as federal officials continue to question the accuracy and completeness of non-oil revenue reports from the region.
Last week, a federal audit delegation returned to Erbil to review the KRG’s financial records. The team—composed of representatives from Iraq’s Federal Board of Supreme Audit and KRG officials—met with KRG Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab to compile a report covering revenue and expenditure for the first quarter of 2025.
Despite the signed order, sources say federal authorities remain concerned that the Kurdistan Region has transferred only about half of its actual non-oil revenues to Baghdad. These concerns have delayed the disbursement until now.
In an effort to demonstrate transparency, the KRG recently released data detailing its monthly non-oil revenue transfers:
• January: 51.9 billion IQD
• February: 48.7 billion IQD
• March: 48.2 billion IQD
The salary delays are further complicated by the suspension of Kurdish oil exports, which were halted due to legal and contractual disputes with international oil companies. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani is reportedly hesitant to authorize further payments without progress on resuming exports.
Sabah Subhi, Deputy Chairman of Iraq’s Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, confirmed that a KRG delegation is currently in Baghdad to continue negotiations. He added that a joint technical committee with the Ministry of Oil will soon be formed to resolve issues surrounding export logistics and contractual terms.
In the meantime, frustration is growing in the Kurdistan Region. A boycott by public employees has already begun in Sulaymaniyah, with analysts warning of wider labor unrest if the deadlock between Baghdad and Erbil continues.