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Go Iraq Part 8


6ly410
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Before sending oil, Kurds want Baghdad to clear their debts

2 hours ago  |  188 Views
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A worker checks pipelines at the Bai Hassan oil field in Kirkuk, October 2017. File photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Baghdad should pay Erbil’s debts to international oil companies before the Kurdish administration agrees to send 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to Iraq in exchange for its share of the federal budget, Kurdish MPs have said.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) owes oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region $24 billion in unpaid petrodollars to develop its oil facilities.

Iraq’s former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, cut the KRG’s share of the federal budget from 17 percent to zero in 2014 after the semiautonomous region began selling its oil independently.

This loss of revenues plunged the KRG into a debt crisis as its bills went unpaid.

Faced with a financial ruin, falling oil prices, a costly war with the Islamic State group (ISIS), and the burden of two million displaced Iraqis, the KRG was forced to introduce austerity measures, including the hated salary-saving scheme.

The wildly unpopular measure slashed the salaries of KRG employees and delayed payments for months at a time. Fed up with the austerity measures, public sector employees went on strike in early 2018.

Iraqi PM Adil Abdul-Mehdi, who took office in late-2018, reinstated the KRG’s share of the federal budget, albeit at the reduced rate of around 12 percent. In exchange, the KRG was asked to send 250,000 bpd of oil to Iraq’s state oil marking body SOMO. 

To date, Erbil has not kept its end of the bargain, however. Talks are now underway to break the impasse. 

Jamal Kochar, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw on Sunday that an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad on the oil-for-budget arrangement is not expected any time soon, as Baghdad has so far refused to pay the KRG’s debts owed to the oil companies.

“I’m not very optimistic about the talks between Erbil and Baghdad,” Kochar said. “Erbil believes that Baghdad should repay the KRG debts to the oil companies accumulated over the years.”

Baghdad thinks it is the KRG’s responsibility to repay its own debts, Kochar said.

The MP suggested one compromise could be for Baghdad to repay the debts gradually, and then deduct the amount from the KRG’s share of the federal budget.

The Iraqi government has $87 billion in reserves and can easily afford to repay the debts, he claimed.

Erbil-Baghdad relations have vastly improved since Abdul-Mahdi took office last year.

However, Iraqi lawmakers are pressuring Abdul-Mahdi’s government  to implement the agreement, accusing him of being too soft on the KRG,  which is yet to send a single barrel of oil to Baghdad in exchange of  its 2019 budget share.

Falih al-Khazaali, an Iraqi lawmaker, has urged Abdul-Mahdi’s government to freeze the KRG’s share of the budget until oil deliveries are secured.

“We are pressuring the Iraqi PM to force the KRG to send the 250,000 barrels to Baghdad and implement the 2019 budget agreement efficiently or else cut the KRG share,” Khazaali told Rudaw on Sunday. 

“We will keep on putting pressure on the Iraqi government to force the KRG to implement the budget agreement – otherwise we will start working on withdrawing confidence from Abdul-Mahdi’s cabinet.”

Khazaali does not believe the 2020 budget bill will pass easily.

Kurdish lawmakers in the Iraqi parliament have advised the KRG to start sending Baghdad the 250,000 bpd to avoid losing out in the 2020 budget.

“In order to minimize the pressures on Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad, the KRG should hand over the 250,000 barrels of oil every day to Baghdad in order to gain economic and political stability in Kurdistan Region,” Sherwan Mirza, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw. 

“However, the KRG should receive at least a 12.67 percent share from the federal budget when the export of 250,000 barrels of oil begins through SOMO.”

According to Mirza, Baghdad is currently sending the KRG just 454 billion IQD – enough to cover public sector salaries. Under the 2019 budget agreement, Baghdad is supposed to send the KRG an additional 68 billion IQD to pay the salaries of its Peshmerga armed forces.

According to the Kurdistan Region’s Energy and Natural Resource Parliamentary Committee, Erbil and Baghdad also disagree over precisely how much oil the KRG is exporting to the Turkish port of Ceyhan via its pipeline.

The KRG claims it is exporting 435,000 bpd, while Baghdad believes the figure is closer to 500,000 bpd.

“The oil and gas committee in the Iraqi parliament has established a committee consisting of seven MPs in order to investigate about KRG’s oil exportation,” Balin Ismael, head of the KRG’s parliamentary committee, told Rudaw on Sunday.

“The committee is expected to visit the Kurdistan Region soon to investigate the number of oil barrels the KRG exports every day,” he added.

Ismael also says the KRG should send Baghdad the 250,000 bpd it asked for as soon as possible to secure its share of the 2020 budget.

“The KRG, by securing its share of the 2020 budget, will bring more political and economic stability to the Region,” Ismael said.

A KRG delegation will also soon visit Baghdad to thrash out the issue, after Abdul-Mahdi returns from a high-level visit to China.

Relations between Baghdad and Erbil turned sour after Erbil went ahead with its referendum for independence from Iraq in September 2017, a move that culminated in an embargo on international flights in and out of the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi security forces retaking the disputed territories previously controlled by the Peshmerga.
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From 6ly410

 

 

For the "Covenant": The Kurdistan government has the seriousness to resolve all outstanding disputes with Baghdad

By ahad5 23/09/2019 08:58 PM | Number Of Hits: 88
For the "Covenant": The Kurdistan government has the seriousness to resolve all outstanding disputes with Baghdad

Al-Ahd News- Special

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Aram Balti, said Monday that everyone should create a positive atmosphere to resolve the outstanding differences between Baghdad and Erbil.

Balti said in a televised interview with the channel "Al-Ahd" that the Kurdistan government has the seriousness to resolve all outstanding differences for a long-term with Baghdad.

Finished / 8

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From 6ly410

Barzani: Our negotiations with Baghdad continue to solve all problems

Policy

2019-09-23 | 10:34
Barzani: Our negotiations with Baghdad continue to solve all problems
 
 

The head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masrour Barzani, Monday, that negotiations with Baghdad continue to resolve all problems.

A statement by Barzani's office received a copy of Alsumaria News, "The President of the Government of the Territory received in his office in Erbil, today, a US military delegation headed by General Gregory Crowder."

He added that "the meeting discussed the latest developments on the regional scene, as well as security coordination to address the dangers of ISIS, which remains a common threat to prevent the return of displaced people to their homes."
 

Barzani said during the meeting, "Our negotiations with Baghdad continue to reach a comprehensive agreement aimed at solving all problems under the Constitution," noting that "an agreement is in the interest of all Iraqis."
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Baghdad agrees to provide social protection salaries and small loans to the citizens of Kurdistan

2019/09/23 13:40:21
 

An official at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government said on Monday that it will form with its counterpart in Baghdad a joint committee to coordinate between the two sides. But the joint committee must be formally formed.

A delegation from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government, on Monday, visited Baghdad and held a meeting with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and decided during the meeting a high committee for coordination between the two sides.

The Director General of the Ministry's Office, Fuad Siddiq, said that the Kurdistan Ministry is scheduled to form a committee and the Federal Ministry will form its committee.

A friend said that the meeting witnessed the lack of linking the budget of the social welfare network and even small loans to the region's share of the public budget, pointing out that the Kurdistan side agreed on the subject in principle.

Siddique said that after the end of the work of the Committee there is an intention to invite the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Federal to visit the region, pointing out that the Federal Minister indicated that he would like to visit the region carrying an acquired territory.

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From 6ly410

 

 

Barzani's party: Problems are heading towards a solution and there is pressure on Abdul Mahdi because of Kurdish rights

22:57 - 24/09/2019
 

Information / Baghdad

 

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Mehdi Abdul Karim, on Tuesday, that the problems between Arbil and Baghdad are heading towards a solution, pointing out that there are some pressure on Abdul Mahdi because of Kurdish rights.

Abdul Karim said in a televised statement continued (information), "There are parties within the region does not like the stability of Kurdistan, although the two Kurdish parties are linked to agreements."

He added that "there is a new vision and direction in the Kurdistan region, where the previous rivalries between the two parties are lessons before us, and the problems that occurred between the two Kurdish parties controlled."

He pointed out that "the problems between Erbil and Baghdad are moving towards a solution, but there are those who pressure on Abdul Mahdi because of the rights of the Kurds, and there are those who cry for the Kurds more than us because of pressure on Abdul Mahdi." Finished 25 N

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1 minute ago, ChuckFinley said:

From 6ly410

 

Baghdad agrees to provide social protection salaries and small loans to the citizens of Kurdistan

2019/09/23 13:40:21
 

An official at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government said on Monday that it will form with its counterpart in Baghdad a joint committee to coordinate between the two sides. But the joint committee must be formally formed.

A delegation from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government, on Monday, visited Baghdad and held a meeting with the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and decided during the meeting a high committee for coordination between the two sides.

The Director General of the Ministry's Office, Fuad Siddiq, said that the Kurdistan Ministry is scheduled to form a committee and the Federal Ministry will form its committee.

A friend said that the meeting witnessed the lack of linking the budget of the social welfare network and even small loans to the region's share of the public budget, pointing out that the Kurdistan side agreed on the subject in principle.

Siddique said that after the end of the work of the Committee there is an intention to invite the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Federal to visit the region, pointing out that the Federal Minister indicated that he would like to visit the region carrying an acquired territory.

Evening Chuck I see you’ve been busy, I gave u a few trophy’s. How much longer you figure we have before it’s go time? That train seems to be full speed ahead 💰

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From Yota

Date of edit:: 2019/24/24 20:36 • 220 times read
Abdul-Mahdi to visit Saudi Arabia tomorrow to meet King Salman and his crown prince
BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi is to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for several hours during which he will meet with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A statement issued by his office received by the Euphrates News Agency that the visit "to discuss relations between the two brotherly countries, regional situations and truce efforts, and Iraq's consistent position to play its positive role in ensuring the danger of tensions and conflicts and to establish the best relations with all neighboring countries and brotherly and friendly."
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Not sure if this is the right place to post this. but if not I am sure it will get removed.

Iraq wants China to be part of the “Silk Road”The Ministry of Transport announced on Sunday the possibility of speeding up the process of Iraq’s accession to the Asian Investment Bank for infrastructure, which provides loans to member states, while looking forward to joining the Asian Economic Belt (Silk Road).The Minister of Transport, Abdullah Luaibi, held an extensive meeting with the Committee of Diwan 70 of 2018 to discuss the possibility of activating cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and the Chinese side, to develop a mechanism to map the road of the economic belt Asian (Silk Road). “

The statement added that “Lobei discussed during the meeting the possibility of speeding up the procedures for Iraq’s accession to the Asian Investment Bank for infrastructure, which means opening loans to member states to finance the implementation of projects roads, bridges, ports, airports and railways, along the new Silk Road.”

“We seek to implement the mechanism of Iraqi cooperation with China through Chinese companies and the Chinese embassy, to acquaint them with the current and declared investment infrastructure, and to indicate the possibilities available to attract the Silk Road project to Iraq and involve it in more than one sector, including railways, ports and sea and land transport,” he said

 

 

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9 hours ago, Dinarrock said:

Hopefully they talked about raising the dinar value and soon! The rumors from way back when was Trump invested like 30 million+ buying dinar many years ago which I hope is true!

Got your back friend, I see the President Trump hater is out there, plussed you. Go ahead and neg me I know others have my back. By the way keep America great!

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