Kurdish lawmaker says progress made on public salary dispute

SULAYMANIYAH — Months of negotiations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government have produced progress on one of Iraq’s most contentious issues: the salaries of public sector employees in the Kurdish governorates, a Kurdish lawmaker said Wednesday.

Narmin Maarouf, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary finance committee, told 964media in an interview at the Ninth Sulaimani Forum that technical teams from Baghdad and Erbil have agreed on a framework allowing for the regular submission of payroll lists for civil servants and retirees.

The long-running dispute over salaries stems from broader tensions around budget allocations and revenue sharing. Since 2014, public employees in the Kurdistan Region have faced delayed or partial salary payments—at times going months without pay. The recurring disruptions have triggered protests and widespread frustration, with many civil servants reporting they struggled to meet basic living expenses. While temporary arrangements were occasionally reached, a durable solution has remained elusive amid repeated political deadlock.

“Over the past months, broad negotiations have taken place between the federal government and the regional government over Kurdistan’s entitlements and unresolved matters, primarily the salary file,” Maarouf said.

She credited both finance ministries with reaching what she called a “mutually satisfactory” arrangement.

“The technical teams, especially the finance ministries on both sides, managed to reach an agreed formula based on sending the salary lists of the region’s employees and retirees,” she said.

Maarouf warned, however, that lasting stability requires a systemic resolution.

“There must be a radical and final solution to this file,” she said. “Employees of the Kurdistan Region are part of the Iraqi people. They have rights and duties. According to the decision of the Federal Supreme Court, it is necessary to secure the salaries of all Iraqi employees, including those in the region, and to keep this issue away from political tensions between Baghdad and Erbil.”

On Feb. 23, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that the KRG must transfer all oil and non-oil revenues to Baghdad. In return, the federal government is obligated to pay the salaries of KRG civil servants.