ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On Wednesday, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani led a meeting of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers, addressing pressing financial and electoral matters.

 

The first item on the agenda focused on the results of a joint audit conducted by the Federal and Regional Financial Audit Bureaus. The audit, covering the first three months of 2024, examined revenues, expenditures, property management, biometric registration, and unified job numbers.

 

The Council emphasized the need for all ministries to work closely with the joint audit teams from both the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit. This coordination aims to ensure that technical issues do not delay the timely payment of monthly salaries.

 

The Council also expressed concern that the Federal Ministry of Finance has not yet sent the July salaries for the Kurdistan Region, despite more than 30 days of delay. The KRG stressed that court rulings have already separated salary payments from other disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the federal governments. Therefore, civil servant salaries, as an essential entitlement, should not be withheld.

 

Additionally, the Council warned that feedback from Iraq’s Federal Board of Supreme Audit should not be used as a pretext to delay salary payments, which is currently the practice of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance.

 

The second key issue discussed was a report from KRG Cabinet Secretary Amanj Raheem on the progress of a joint committee tasked with harmonizing financial procedures between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi Federal Government.

 

In a third agenda item, the Council reviewed coordination efforts between the Iraqi High Election Commission, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, and the KRG. These efforts focus on preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region, scheduled for October 20.

 

Finally, Minister of Trade and Industry Kamal Muslim presented a report on the region’s wheat procurement process. The report detailed the purchase and receipt of wheat from local farmers and discussed the financial entitlements of the farmers as well as wheat marketing strategies.

 

This meeting highlights the KRG's focus on both financial transparency and coordination with the federal government, as well as ensuring the region's readiness for upcoming elections.

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