Ex-finance official: Erbil must lead talks with Baghdad on financial dispute
Shafaq News/ A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Region must visit Baghdad to resolve the growing financial dispute, former Deputy Minister of Finance Fadhil Nabi stated on Tuesday.
'The resolution of financial issues between Erbil and Baghdad requires an official visit by the Region's Supreme Committee, including top policymakers and a technical team,' he stated.
Nabi added that recent rulings by the Federal Supreme Court on financial arrangements between Iraq and the Region had been 'misunderstood in their implementation,' noting that the latest State Administration Coalition meeting in Baghdad failed to produce any concrete solution. 'These meetings often end by deferring back to the court's decisions,' he said.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have escalated sharply following the Iraqi Ministry of Finance's decision to halt salary disbursements for the Kurdistan Region's May 2025 payroll. The ministry cited the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s alleged failure to remit both oil and non-oil revenues to the federal treasury and exceeding its budget allocation.
In response, the KRG accused Baghdad of breaching its obligations, labeling the move as ' politically motivated' and harmful to over 1.2 million public sector employees in the Region.
The standoff comes despite a February ruling by the Federal Court obligating Baghdad to pay KRG public salaries directly. The court's decision followed months of delayed payments and mounting public frustration in the Kurdistan Region.
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