Contractors in Sulaymaniyah protest for outstanding payments

SULAYMANIYAH — Contractors in Sulaymaniyah gathered on Wednesday in front of the Sulaymaniyah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to demand payment for their long-delayed projects, many of which have been stalled since 2014. They report that over 1,000 projects remain unfinished due to a lack of funding.

Alan Karim, head of the Sulaymaniyah Contractors Union, told 964media, “Nearly 900 contractors are facing severe financial challenges, and their situation has worsened over time. We have repeatedly raised this issue with the authorities and visited the relevant parties, but to this day, no payments have been made.”

Karim explained that many contractors have suffered significant losses, with some forced into bankruptcy. “There are contractors who have left the field entirely,” he said.

Among the protesters was Amanj Hassan, a contractor with over five stalled projects. He told 964media, “Our main issue is the lack of funds to complete and deliver projects. Many of the projects were 20% to 30% complete when the payments stopped. These projects range from large-scale infrastructure to smaller initiatives, but the work cannot proceed without funding.”

Contractors are calling on the government to halt the launch of new projects and allocate funds to finish older ones. Many contractors, unable to sustain their businesses, have moved their operations outside the Kurdistan Region or emigrated entirely. Others have filed legal claims against the government.

Despite financial difficulties, some contractors managed to complete portions of their projects during the financial crisis. However, they claim the government has failed to reimburse them even as economic conditions improve. “We completed some of these projects during the toughest times, but now that things are better, the government is still unwilling to release our payments,” Karim said.

The contractors are urging the government to prioritize older projects over new initiatives. They argue that completing these stalled projects is critical for restoring trust between contractors and the government and for ensuring economic stability in the region.

Since 2014, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has faced significant financial challenges stemming from multiple factors. A key issue has been the budget dispute with the federal government in Baghdad, which led to a suspension of the region’s share of the national budget. This fiscal strain was compounded by the rise of the Islamic State in mid-2014, resulting in increased security expenditures and a massive influx of internally displaced persons seeking refuge in the region.