Iraq’s central government this week sent a second ID200bn ($138mn) payment to the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This follows a similar payment in July. According to government spokesperson and Minister of Culture Hasan Nadhem, Baghdad will send another $138mn payment “next month.”
Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement in June whereby $2.4bn in payments are backdated to January. This figure is the remainder after subtracting the disputed KRG contribution to the federal budget. The Kurds claim that they are entitled 12.75% of Iraq’s federal budget – based on population figures – which translates to $11.3bn or $940mn monthly. The delay since has been “technical,” linked to the transfer mechanism, according to Mr Nadhem. A payment slip for the July payment seen by MEES shows that Iraq’s Ministry of Finance sends the amount to KRG’s Finance Ministry account at CBI’s branch in Erbil. (CONTINUED - 334 WORDS)