PUK MP: Baghdad sent August salaries for KRI employees

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, MP Muthanna Amin from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) confirmed that the Iraqi Ministry of Finance sent the August salaries to the Kurdistan Region (KRI), assuring that salary payments will continue for the upcoming months.

Amin stated, “I asked Finance Minister Taif Sami why the KRI salaries did not arrive on time, as employees had gone without pay for two consecutive months.”

In response, Sami confirmed, according to the MP, that “August salaries had been sent, and the ministry is working on sending the salaries for September and October consecutively to ensure there are no future delays.”

The MP also indicated, “There seems to be some misunderstanding between the Federal and Kurdistan Regional Governments regarding the salary calculation mechanism.”

“Solutions must be found to address this issue as soon as possible.”

Persistent Salary Delays

Employees in the Region have faced ongoing delays in monthly salaries for years. The crisis is rooted in financial issues, including the global drop in oil prices and the Kurdish financial burden from the fight against ISIS.

Despite the Federal Court’s acknowledgment of Baghdad’s obligation to pay salaries regularly, problems with salary distribution persist, with some attributing these issues to political rather than financial factors.

The delay has become a chronic issue, impacting residents’ daily lives. With many dependent on these salaries for basic needs, frequent delays have led to significant psychological and social problems.

In light of these delays, employees increasingly resort to borrowing to cover basic needs, exacerbating their debt and adding social and economic pressure on themselves and their families.