Latest news with #KurdistanRegionalGovernment
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
EXCLUSIVE: Baghdad to release KRG salaries as one-time loan
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani will approve May salary payments for public employees in the Kurdistan Region, provided the funds are issued as a temporary federal loan, a source told Shafaq News on Saturday. The disbursement, expected midweek, would fall outside the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s formal budget allocation, the source explained, describing it as a one-off intervention. 'A second condition requires forming a joint committee between Baghdad and Erbil to address the salary backlog, with a framework agreement targeted before Eid al-Adha.' The move follows growing political and diplomatic pressure on the federal government to resolve the long-running fiscal dispute with the KRG. Kurdish political parties will convene today in Erbil to assess the financial crisis, and a KRG delegation is scheduled to visit Baghdad on June 1 to resume talks with Iraqi officials.
Iraqi News
a day ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Halabja's new dawn: Governorate status brings hope and challenges to the historic city
Baghdad ( – After nearly four decades scarred by the horrific 1988 chemical attack and a subsequent 12-year political struggle, the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja has officially become Iraq's 19th governorate, and the fourth within the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi Parliament's decision in mid-April 2025 grants this city, synonymous with one of the modern era's most heinous crimes, a new administrative status. This is seen by many as long-overdue recognition and a potential catalyst for development, yet it also heralds fresh political and security complexities. The name Halabja is seared into global memory by the Ba'athist regime's chemical bombardment in March 1988, during the final months of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed an estimated 5,000 civilians, mostly women and children, and injured up to 10,000 more. The long-term effects on health and the environment have plagued the city for generations. The journey to governorate status began with a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decision in 2013, followed by a KRG parliamentary vote in 2015. However, federal recognition was repeatedly stalled by intricate political bargaining in Baghdad, often linking Halabja's case to demands for creating other new governorates in disputed or ethnically mixed areas like Tel Afar and Tuz Khurmatu. During these years of political limbo, Halabja suffered from economic decline, high unemployment, and significant out-migration as residents sought opportunities elsewhere. The new governorate status unlocks significant potential: dedicated annual budgets, thousands of new administrative and security positions, direct federal allocations for resources like medicine and fuel, and enhanced prospects for investment across various sectors including housing, industry, commerce, entertainment, and vital services. In a groundbreaking development, Ms. Nukhsha Saleh has been appointed as Halabja's governor, making her the first female governor in Iraq's modern history. However, these new entitlements are expected to intensify internal Kurdish political competition. Traditionally, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) holds sway in Erbil and Duhok, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) dominates Sulaymaniyah. Halabja, previously administered under Sulaymaniyah, now joins it as a PUK-influenced governorate, potentially recalibrating the power dynamics between the two main Kurdish parties. Furthermore, Halabja's strategic location bordering Iran, with key trade crossings like Shushmi-Tawila and Bashta, positions it as a potential new arena for regional influence—a common feature across Kurdistan, which navigates Turkish military presence and Iranian political interests. Developing its tourist areas will also require careful management to avoid political corruption. The elevation of Halabja to a governorate is undoubtedly a momentous occasion, offering a chance for healing, development, and empowerment. Yet, its future will be shaped by how these new opportunities are managed amidst existing political rivalries and complex security undercurrents. True progress will require genuine commitment from both federal and regional governments, robust local governance, and continued international support to ensure this city of martyrs not only remembers its painful past but builds a resilient and prosperous future, free from the shadows that have long loomed over it. The hope is that Halabja's new beginning truly places it on the map of recovered and thriving cities, rather than entangling it further in escalating power struggles.
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- General
- Shafaq News
Erbil Citadel shines again with weekly public access
Shafaq News/ Erbil's historic citadel reopened to the public for one day a week as its large-scale restoration project approaches completion. The Head of the Citadel Rehabilitation Commission, Falah Hassan told Shafaq News that 1,200 cubic meters of the citadel's flooring have been paved over the past six months, along with the rehabilitation of the main street connecting the Ahmadia Gate to the Grand Bazaar Gate. The restoration of Erbil Citadel is entering its final phase, with technical issues set to be resolved within days, and work on the electrical, sewage, bathhouse, and mosque nearing completion, Hassan said, confirming that the site is now illuminated and open weekly for public visits while restoration continues in other areas. He further pointed out that the management of the UNESCO World Heritage landmarks was officially transferred from Erbil's provincial authority to the Kurdistan Regional Government's Cabinet in recent months. The move streamlines decision-making and allows requests to be submitted directly to the Council of Ministers. Erbil Citadel was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2014 for its unique architectural significance. Historical records trace its origins through multiple civilizations, including the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, Islamic, and Ottoman eras. The site includes three main neighborhoods, traditional homes, mosques, Sufi lodges, and public baths. Its distinctive circular wall is among its most prominent features, known for its durability and design.
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
KRG cries foul over Baghdad's budget calculations
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) rejected the federal government's financial assessments regarding oil and non-oil revenues. The Kurdish Minister of Finance and Economy Awat Janab Nuri affirmed in a statement that the figures presented by Baghdad's Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, which reported a deposit of 4.22 trillion dinars by the Region. He clarified that this amount actually corresponds to 9.11 trillion dinars in total gross oil revenue, and criticized Baghdad's accounting approach for excluding key cost components. The minister also accused the federal government of unilaterally disregarding provisions of Article 9 of the amended 2019 Federal Financial Management Law, and of failing to account for extraction costs, investment entitlements to oil companies, and fuel used for electricity generation or local consumption. The KRG further indicated it has been deprived of job grade allocations since 2013 and denied compensation for victims of chemical attacks, genocide, and displacement—describing these as unresolved injustices.
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
KRG launches anti-narcotics drive as drug convictions quadruple in Kurdistan
Shafaq News/ Drug abuse now poses a 'national security threat' on par with terrorism, Kurdish officials warned on Thursday, as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) rolled out a wide-reaching anti-narcotics campaign. Speaking at the campaign's kickoff event, Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed described rising drug use, especially among youth, as one of the Kurdistan Region's most urgent challenges. 'We're not just confronting terrorism,' he remarked. 'We're battling a drug crisis that's tearing society apart.' Ahmed also linked the surge to organized crime, calling drug trafficking a key revenue stream for criminal groups that undermines enforcement and threatens public health. Meanwhile, Dindar Zebari, the KRG's Coordinator for International Advocacy, reported during a panel that drug-related convictions have quadrupled over five years—from 212 in 2019 to more than 1,280 that same year. 'By the end of 2024, 1,568 people were imprisoned for drug offenses. That number is approaching 1,700 in 2025.'
