Al-Kazemi and Barzani reach a budget agreement

[DWS112]

Al-Kazemi and Barzani reach a budget agreement

June 15, 2021

 

The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, Masrour Barzani, announced today, Tuesday, that a financial agreement has been reached with the federal government.

Barzani said in a series of tweets via Twitter, followed by Alsumaria News, that "I spoke with Federal Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, within the framework of the ongoing negotiations and commitment to making the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad more clear."

He added, "I am pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached under which the dues from the federal budget will be sent back to the Kurdistan Region, with a retroactive effect, starting from January 2021." 

He continued, "During our phone call, I thanked him for his leadership, and I thanked the federal government for its support of this important juncture through which we together overcame this difficult and long-standing obstacle."

[6ly410]

ERBIL - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced on Tuesday that Erbil and Baghdad had reached a deal to restore the federal budgetary payments to the autonomous region.

"I spoke with PM @MAKadhimi today as part of our ongoing talks and shared commitment to bring certainty to the Erbil-Baghdad relationship," PM Barzani wrote on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

"I’m pleased to announce we’ve reached a deal that will see federal budgetary payments restored to the KRI and backdated to Jan 2021."

This comes around two months after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq reached a deal on the budget bill for the year 2021 and Kurdistan Region's share of it.

However, Baghdad had not sent the share of Kurdistan Region so far, as there were still some issues yet to be resolved.

Barzani in his Twitter statement pointed out that he thanked his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa al-Kadhimi for his leadership, and his cabinet for supporting "this important milestone."

"We overcame this difficult, long-standing obstacle together," the Kurdish prime minister concluded, referring to the disputes which impeded the implementation of the agreement between the sides.

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SULAIMANI — Member of the Council of Representatives’ Finance Committee Hoshyar Abdulla said on Tuesday evening (June 15) that federal finance minister Ali Allawi has told members of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) negotiating delegation that a major hitch in implementation of the budget law is that Erbil is only sending data to Baghdad, but not any money or oil.

During an appearance on NRT’s Tawtwe interview program, Abdulla said that as a result the federal government has followed the terms of the budget law by not sending any monthly budget transfers to Erbil. 

He said that the minister had also told the delegation that during some months the KRG should be transferring money to Baghdad.

Under the 2021 Federal Budget Law, which passed on March 31, the KRG is supposed to receive 9.5 trillion Iraqi dinars ($6.5 billion) from the budget, which will be disbursed in monthly increments, in return for submitting 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Iraq's oil marketer SOMO for export and a portion of the income derived from customs duties at international border crossings with Iran and Turkey.

Since the law passed, the KRG has sent no money or oil. As a result, Baghdad has not transferred the monthly cash infusions, which would enable Erbil to pay public servants their full salaries.

Later on Tuesday night, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the KRG has reached a deal with the federal government that will allow budget transfers to the Kurdistan Region to resume, with payments backdated to January 2021.

Barzani gave no details, so it was not immediately clear whether this contradicts Abdulla’s assertion of continued implementation issues.

(NRT Digital Media)

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[nannab]

Now PM Barzani are you going to send the agreed upon 250,000 barrels of oil???? 

Thank you DWS211 and 6ly410 

[markb57]

so this is the prelude or the actual HCL we've been waiting on?

[Rochester]

2 hours ago, DWS112 said:

Mustafa Al-Kazemi,

His Face be saying, "Jesus, or Mohammad or whatever, I can't believe we finally agreed! 

 

 

[3n1]

this is nothing new this agreement has been before ,  250K barrels for a cut of the budget they'll rock along doing ok for a period then one will blame the other for not following their agreement terms usually baghdad will claim erbil not sending the 250k barrels thru somo pipeline erbil counters that baghdad stopped payment then its back to square 1 , the oil n gas law should provide a financial percentage for the citizens no mention of that !  imo this is just a slush fund restart , i really hope im proved wrong. we wait 

[mally2]

50 minutes ago, 3n1 said:

this is nothing new this agreement has been before ,  250K barrels for a cut of the budget they'll rock along doing ok for a period then one will blame the other for not following their agreement terms usually baghdad will claim erbil not sending the 250k barrels thru somo pipeline erbil counters that baghdad stopped payment then its back to square 1 , the oil n gas law should provide a financial percentage for the citizens no mention of that !  imo this is just a slush fund restart , i really hope im proved wrong. we wait 

I agree that’s the usual song and dance up through them passing a budget but I don’t remember these negotiations after passing a budget? Maybe I’m remembering wrong, thought they usually went to their corners post budget vote and waited a couple months for each side to claim breach in deal. Seems to me this is a break in pattern but I’m not seeing why? Hoping these white paper reforms have something to do with it. 

[6ly410]

[Laid Back]

Budget was approved but not implemented 

Federal government and Kurdistan reached an agreement 

Payments backdated to January 2021

 

Go budget implementation 

Go HCL

Go Art 140

Go RV

 

[rvmydinar]

3 hours ago, Laid Back said:

Budget was approved 

What was the rate in the budget then? 1 usd=1460 iqd?

[yota691]

Iraqi Kurdistan reaches an agreement with Baghdad regarding its dues in the general budget

© Sputnik . Виталий Белоусов . Masrour Barzani

ARAB WORLD

GMT 21:49 15.06.2021(updated GMT 21:59 15.06.2021)

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The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, announced that an agreement had been reached with Baghdad regarding the region's dues in the country's general budget.

 

 

 

Baghdad - Sputnik . Barzani said that he spoke with Mustafa Al-Kazemi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, about the ongoing negotiations between the two parties to make the relationship between Baghdad and Erbil more clear.

 

He added, in a post on "Twitter", today, Tuesday: "I am pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached according to which the dues from the federal budget will be sent back to the Kurdistan region with a retroactive effect starting from January 2021."

It is noteworthy that the relationship between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region witnessed various stages of tension after the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003, and the tension increased, especially after the region conducted the referendum on secession, on September 25, 2017.

The crisis includes several problems, foremost of which is the management of the so-called "disputed" areas according to Article 140 of the constitution, most notably Kirkuk, which is Iraq's richest oil city, in addition to managing border crossings, the dues of the Peshmerga forces and employees in the region and its share of the federal budget.

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Praises for the role of Qubad Talabani and the PUK in the agreement with Baghdad

Posted 41 seconds ago

https://iraqakhbar.com/3145810

news source / PukMedia

 

Source of the news / PukMedia Network

Lahore Sheikh Janki, the co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, gave good news of solving the problems with Baghdad, most notably the financial disputes and the Kurdistan region’s share of the federal budget, preceded by days of a historic visit by the delegation of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan headed by Bafel Talabani to strengthen relations and move them forward with the political parties in Iraq, as the region Strategic depth for Iraq, and this was preceded by shuttle tours of the Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government that lasted more than a year and a half to Baghdad to solve all problems, the most important of which is the inclusion of the Kurdistan Region’s share in the federal budget for the current year to ensure the region’s entitlements, employee salaries and financial disputes that did not exist during the era of the nation’s deceased president Mam Jalal and his role as a safety valve for Iraq and the Iraqis.

Wisdom, wit and patience

On the visits and the role of Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, PUKmedia met with representatives, specialists, stakeholders, and citizens, who praised in their words the achievement that Talabani achieved without despair in his meetings with officials and representatives and his presence in the dome of the House of Representatives until a final agreement was reached.

Parliamentarian Sarko Azad says that the arrival of Baghdad and Erbil came with the role of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and its responsibility to defend and guarantee the rights of citizens by addressing strategic problems, and indicates that Lahore Sheikh Gengi visited Baghdad and met with officials for the sake of the people of Kurdistan, and Qubad Talabani, Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, also participated in shuttle tours Difficult negotiations encountered many obstacles.

He adds: The wisdom and patience of Qubad Talabani and the joint presidency resulted in strengthening relations and guaranteeing the Kurdistan Region's share of the financial budget, and restoring confidence between the two sides.

Qubad Talabani: A radical solution to the problems

Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, says about the repeated visits to Baghdad, that it aims to find a radical and real solution to get rid of the outstanding problems with Baghdad, which is a strategic depth for the Kurdistan Region. It also always expresses the full commitment to implementing the terms of the federal budget for 2021 and preparing for cooperation and filling the gaps in The lines of contact between the federal forces and the Peshmerga forces that the terrorists take as a starting point for their attacks, and indicates that the visits also witnessed accusations of a political nature, that the region’s special interests were obtained within the discussions of approving the federal budget, but the truth is quite the opposite, as Baghdad is considered the strategic depth of the region . Talabani the son does not hide that Iraq needs a real renaissance and finding exceptional solutions and ideas for its accumulated problems, and what helps in this is its possession of abundant capabilities, wealth and bounties, but all of them need successful management and hard work, and this will not be achieved in a tense political atmosphere.

200 billion dinars monthly to the Kurdistan Region

Citizens praised the role of Qubad Talabani, Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, in resolving the situation and reaching an agreement, expressing their happiness with the historic achievement and the end of the employee’s salary deduction phase, after the Kurdistan Region’s share was included in the federal budget for 2021.

Citizen "M, R" says that the employees are impatiently waiting for their financial problems to be addressed, and indicates that the agreement with Baghdad came only with great efforts by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and the joint presidency of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan out of a great sense of historical responsibility.

Pharmacist A, M says: The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is an influential force on the Iraqi arena, and when it decides something, all friends gather around it, and it is the force that defends the people and their rights, whether in Baghdad or anywhere.

Samir Hawrami, the official spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, says: Through the visits, a lobby was formed to deliver the true information to the federal government, the Iraqi street, and the Parliament. During more than 10 visits that took different periods, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government met with the federal government, the parliament, journalists, and organizations Civil society and presidencies and political parties, the Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government clarified the facts to everyone and presented all the statistics and documents related to the Kurdistan Region, and added: that during the previous year we reached an agreement that lasted for several months, after which the law was issued to finance the fiscal deficit, and since then the Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government began In his meetings again, and indicates that the Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed during all meetings the commitment of the Kurdistan Regional Government to implement the paragraphs and provisions of the Federal Budget Law for the year 2021.

Qubad Talabani believed that he would win in the end

Almas Fadel, a representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan bloc, confirms that the role of Qubad Talabani, the deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in the dialogues that took place between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government is an honorable role, and it turns out: that Talabani’s role is a source of pride, and he fought the dialogues with patience and dealt with the matter with diplomacy and wisdom, despite All the obstacles that stood in his way were that he believed that he would win in the end. Finally, his efforts reached their goal. We are now reaping the fruits of these efforts, which are an extension of the wise and diplomatic policy that the late President Mam Jalal used to follow.

It indicates that Qubad Talabani corrected the mistakes that occurred in previous periods in the relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government, and with all success, patience and diplomatic management, he fought dialogues with the federal government, and instead of despair, he continued his efforts until reaching these results that we were all waiting for.

Beginning to solve all problems

Khaled Shwani, Minister of the Region for Dialogue Affairs with the Federal Government, welcomes the federal government’s decision regarding the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget for the year 2021, and adds: We welcome the decision of the Federal Council of Ministers to send an amount of 200 billion dinars per month to the Kurdistan Region after the agreement concluded between the negotiating delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government Headed by our dear brother Qubad Talabani, and the practical steps taken by the Kurdistan Regional Government to implement its obligations in accordance with the Federal Budget Law for the year 2021, wishing that the step would become a beginning to address all problems and provide welfare for citizens, and confirms that the federal and KRG financial control teams continue to audit imports We hope that the joint report of these committees will be completed soon.

 Rose Politics

Representative Arzo Mahmoud, a member of the House of Representatives, says that no one disagrees with the tireless efforts made by Qubad Talabani, Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government and supervisor of the negotiating delegation in Baghdad in order to provide the Kurdistan Region with financial dues from the federal budget and employee salaries. Talabani to Baghdad, all doors were closed in Erbil's face, and that he was able to reach the start of dialogues, negotiations and an agreement with the federal government in Baghdad, as well as the normalization of relations between Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, with his wisdom and policy, as well as with the policy of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the policy of severity and response of the late President Mam Jalal, and she points to Qubad Talabani insisted on staying in Baghdad and holding meetings with political parties and blocs and the House of Representatives until an agreement was reached, which had positive results that resulted in Baghdad's approval to send the financial dues to the Kurdistan Region and to put the agreement concluded between the two sides into effect, first of all, by dissolvingThe relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad froze and worked to organize political positions and unify the Kurdish House in its relations with Baghdad, in addition to giving an active role to the relations of the Kurdistan Region with Baghdad on the political and economic levels, adding that the Kurdistan Region and since 2014 had no role in Baghdad, and that visits to Baghdad Qubad Talabani to Baghdad will give a greater role to the Kurdistan Region during the current and future stage.

And she stresses, that the attempts and negotiations would not have been easy, had it not been for the efforts of the Kurdistan Region delegation headed by Qubad Talabani, and the co-chairs of the Patriotic Union and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan bloc, pointing out that everyone is working with the wise policy of Mam Jalal, that the Kurdistan Region has an effective and influential role in Baghdad to restore the role, influence and status of the Kurds in Baghdad.

Diplomacy of dialogue and problem solving

Political analyst Ali Al-Baydar, explains that the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Qubad Talabani, is following the path of his father, the late President Jalal Talabani, through diplomacy and dialogue, and adds: that during the previous years, the federal government refused, stalled, or tried to impose certain wills by marginalizing the role of The Kurds in general and weakening them for electoral purposes, and he points out that Qubad Talabani follows the path of his father, the late President Mam Jalal, in dealing with wisdom and diplomacy and obtaining what he wants according to what is possible and available, and this matter will achieve many gains, both on the personal level and even at the level of the National Union.

It is likely that Qubad Talabani will be the successor to President Jalal Talabani and will be accepted by all Iraqis as a political leader and a public figure loved by everyone and accepted with open arms. Regarding previous political conflicts, expressing his belief that the visits included a security dimension, by raising all political, security, financial and service issues and everything related to the Kurdistan Region and the cut-off areas, and even going far in the Iraqi decision-making.

 

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Kurdistan Region’s income not only used for public sector salaries: KRG spokesperson

https://www.nrttv.com/en/News.aspx?id=28588&MapID=1

 

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Jotiar Adil speaks during a press conference on June 16, 2021 (NRT Digital Media/Screenshot)

3 minutes ago

 

SULAIMANI — Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Jotiar Adil said on Wednesday (June 16) that the KRG supports making full public sector salary payments, but that there are many competing needs for the Region's limited income, including providing public services and improving infrastructure as well.

Adil said during a press conference that the KRG will decide on cuts to salaries when Baghdad sends the amount of money it agreed upon with Erbil.

On Tuesday night, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the KRG has reached a deal with the federal government that will allow budget transfers to the Kurdistan Region to resume, with payments backdated to January 2021.

Later, KRG Minister of State and member of the KRG’s negotiating delegation Khalid Shwani said in a post on Facebook that the federal Council of Ministers authorized monthly transfers of 200 billion Iraqi dinars ($137 million) to the Kurdistan Region, including for the backdated months.

Under the 2021 Federal Budget Law, which passed on March 31, the KRG is supposed to receive 9.5 trillion Iraqi dinars ($6.5 billion) from the budget, which will be disbursed in monthly increments, in return for submitting 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Iraq's oil marketer SOMO for export and a portion of the income derived from customs duties at international border crossings with Iran and Turkey.

Since the law passed, the KRG has sent no money or oil. As a result, Baghdad has not transferred the monthly cash infusions, which would enable Erbil to pay public servants their full salaries.

Adil said that when the cash transfers will be sent to Erbil is related to the federal government.

He said that operations at the government offices will resume to normal and working on rotation schedule will end as there have been complaints from people and visitors over slow operations and increased routine at the offices.

He said that the KRG is committed to paying workers once every month.

On Saturday, an advisor to Barzani on financial matters told NRT that it was not 100 percent guaranteed that the KRG would pay full public sector salaries even if transfers from Baghdad resume.

(NRT Digital Media)

 

 

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UK Ambassador optimistic about Baghdad-Erbil relations

33 minutes ago

 

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/160620213

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Britain’s ambassador to Iraq expressed optimism regarding future relations between Baghdad and Erbil in an exclusive interview with Rudaw on Tuesday, as the two governments came to an agreement over the allocation of federal funds after months of discussions.

“I think there is a growing recognition amongst the political class here in Baghdad that it’s important to have a stable and prosperous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and that if you have stability and prosperity in the KRI then this only helps there to be the same levels of prosperity and stability in the rest of Iraq,” Ambassador Stephen Hickey told Rudaw’s Shaho Amin on Tuesday.

Baghdad-Erbil relations have been strained because of disagreements over the Kurdistan Region’s share of federal funds and obligations under the budget. Because of the budget dispute and financial woes, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been unable to pay its civil servants in full or on time.

On Tuesday, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced they had reached an agreement. 

“I spoke with Mustafa Al-Kadhimi today as part of our ongoing talks and shared commitment to bring certainty to the Erbil-Baghdad relationship. I’m pleased to announce we’ve reached a deal that will see federal budgetary payments restored to the KRI and backdated to Jan 2021,” he tweeted.

While Erbil welcomed the news, the Iraqi parliament’s integrity committee said retroactive payments are illegal.

The 2021 budget was passed by the Iraqi parliament in late March after intense debate and over three months after it was approved by the cabinet. One contentious point was Erbil’s share and requirements for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over oil.

Hickey also discussed relations between Erbil and London, describing them as “excellent” and hinted at a future visit of President Nechirvan Barzani to the United Kingdom’s capital.

“I know that President Nechirvan has had many strong connections with British politicians and British leaders over the last two decades. He is a strong friend of the UK and we really look forward to welcoming him in London very soon,” he said. 

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https:/https://twitter.com/RudawEnglish/status/1405136372571246593?s=20/twitter.com/RudawEnglish/status/https:/

Budget decision met with praise in Erbil, anger in Baghdad

3 hours ago

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/160620211

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan Region leaders have voiced hope of better relations with the federal government following a Tuesday decision to restore budget payments to Erbil as the Iraqi parliament’s integrity committee says it is a violation of federal law.

“We hope this will be a turning point in our relations with Iraq and a major step towards overcoming the challenges the Kurdistan Region has faced," said Qubad Talabani at the HITEX conference in Erbil on Wednesday, thanking the Iraqi Council of Ministers and the federal government.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced late on Tuesday that his government reached an agreement with Baghdad regarding sending the Kurdistan Region’s share of the general budget for 2021, which has so far been delayed. 

“I’m pleased to announce we’ve reached a deal that will see federal budgetary payments restored to the KRI and backdated to Jan 2021,” he said.

Iraq’s parliamentary integrity committee, in a statement obtained by Rudaw English, says Baghdad will send 200 billion dinars per month to Erbil. 

“If the Iraqi government sends the Kurdistan Regional Government's budget share, a door of trust will open to resolving other issues between Baghdad and the Region because, in addition to the financial issues, there have been other issues between the two," said Peshawa Hawramani, the spokesperson of the KDP faction in the Kurdistan Region's parliament, in a press conference on Wednesday.

"The people of the Kurdistan Region suffered a lot as a result of this illegal decision [to cut the budget share]," he added.

The budget has been a problematic issue between Erbil and Baghdad. The 2021 budget was passed by the Iraqi parliament in late March after intense debate more than three months after it was approved by the cabinet. One contentious point was Erbil’s share and requirements for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over oil.

At the time, Kurdish and Iraqi officials voiced hope that the agreement would pave way for better relations between Baghdad and Erbil. 

On Wednesday, however, Baghdad’s integrity committee said the decision, which will send funds with “retroactive effect,” is a violation of Article 11 of the Federal Budget Law.

The committee warned "against taking this step in violation of the law, and calls on the public prosecution to take the necessary action in the event of the release of these funds." The committee also called on the Council of Ministers to be careful in issuing decisions and to indicate their compliance with the laws in force.

Article 11 requires Erbil to hand 250,000 barrels of oil over to Baghdad, and send half of its non-oil revenues to the state treasury in exchange for funds.

Two Kurdish members of the committee responded to the statement, which they said they “vehemently reject.”

“Since the law is for the whole year of 2021, the money must be calculated and sent from the beginning of the year," said Jamal Shukir and Rebwar Karim Mahmood.

Shiite lawmakers are unhappy with the Kurdistan Region’s share and Erbil’s independent oil sales. Disputes over Article 11 were one of the main factors delaying a parliamentary vote on the budget.

Earlier this month, the KRG said it was sending a report to Baghdad on the Region’s revenues, including oil, amid talks over budget implementation.

Because of the budget disputes and financial woes, the KRG has been unable to pay its civil servants on time or in full. Parliament speaker Rewaz Fayaq told Rudaw on Monday that the legislature will not sit again except to discuss the budget and salaries.

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History in the making. 

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a deputy directs a scathing criticism of the al-kazemi government after sending 200 billion to kurdistan

Author: AhadNA4 On 06/16/2021 - 7:15 PM  6

https://alahadnews.net/207088/العراق/السياسية/

On Wednesday, the representative of the Al-Hikma Movement criticized the government's recent decision to send 200 billion dinars to the Kurdistan region, with retroactive effect.

And he said in a tweet followed by Al-Ahd News, which read: “The government stops appointments on the pretext that there are no financial allocations and violates the budget law, and it issues a decision to send money to the Kurdistan region and retroactively without handing over to the region a single dinar from oil exports and outlets. And the south stalled due to lack of financial funding?”