Kurdistan’s 2024 budget: Salary increases omitted, controversy ensues

Shafaq News / On Tuesday, a member of the Iraqi Parliament from al-Sulaymaniyah governorate revealed the fate of salary increases and bonuses for Kurdistan Region employees within the 2024 national budget.

Deputy Soran Omar stated that “the salary increases for Kurdistan Region employees were not included in the 2024 budget tables, and appointments for any categories within the Region will not be implemented.”

He further explained that the disbursement of salaries by Baghdad, according to the Federal Court’s decision, is linked to the delivery of internal revenues and domiciliation. However, the Kurdish government has not yet taken steps to implement the Federal Court’s decision in this regard.

Yesterday, the Iraqi Parliament voted on the general budget for the current year 2024.

Hours before the vote, there was controversy within the parliamentary finance committee, leading to two separate votes on the budget tables due to disagreements.

According to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, the 2024 budget amounts to 211 trillion IQD, with employee salaries for 2024 totaling 62 trillion IQD. In comparison, the 2023 budget was 199 trillion IQD, with employee salaries at 59 trillion IQD.

The estimated revenues for the 2024 budget, as per Al-Sudani, are 144,336 trillion IQD, while expenditures reach 210,936 trillion IQD. The deficit stands at 63,599 trillion IQD.

Al-Sudani also said that “allocations for local government programs in the governorates amounted to 10,633 trillion IQD in 2023. We funded 3,333 trillion IQD based on the governorates’ essential requests, leaving the remaining 7,333 trillion IQD in trust accounts under the control of local governments.