Iraq’s deputy parliament speakers clash over Kurdistan Region salary transfers

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s two deputy parliament speakers traded sharply opposing views Tuesday over federal funding for the Kurdistan Region, with one defending continued salary transfers as a constitutional right and the other calling for payments to be suspended until revenue disputes are resolved.

Farhad Atroshi said salaries for Kurdistan Region employees must not be linked to financial disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil. “Salaries are a red line and not a tool for offsetting accounts or political pressure,” he said, adding that a Federal Supreme Court ruling had explicitly separated the salary file from political or financial disputes. He defended recent reductions in revenue transfers from the region, saying they reflected actual collections rather than non-compliance. “The Kurdistan Region government never evaded its obligations,” he said, noting that revenues had fallen from 120 billion dinars to between 40 and 50 billion dinars per month due to actual collection figures.

Adnan Faihan took the opposite position, calling on the federal government to halt transfers until outstanding obligations are settled. He said the previous government violated Budget Law No. 13 by paying Kurdistan Region salaries for five months in 2025 without receiving the required non-oil revenues. Under a 2025 agreement, the region was initially obligated to transfer 391 billion dinars per month, later reduced to 200 billion and then 120 billion, increasing annually by 10%, bringing the expected 2026 figure to around 132 billion dinars per month. “The federal government paid salaries for the region’s employees for five months of 2025, while the regional government did not deliver any non-oil revenues,” Faihan said, warning that continued transfers without settlement could expose the government to legal accountability.

The dispute reflects a long-running disagreement between Baghdad and Erbil over budget allocations, oil exports and revenue sharing. Under Iraq’s federal system, the Kurdistan Regional Government receives funding from the federal budget in exchange for transferring oil and non-oil revenues to the federal treasury. Federal authorities have periodically delayed or suspended transfers, arguing Erbil failed to meet its obligations, while Kurdish officials maintain that salary payments are constitutional rights that cannot be tied to political or financial disputes.