SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Council of Ministers convened on Wednesday but failed to reach a decision on the disbursement of May salaries for civil servants, a Council source told Zoom News, revealing that Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab was notably absent from the session.
“No decision has been made regarding the fate of May salaries,” the source confirmed following the two-hour meeting.
With Eid al-Adha approaching on June 6, leaving Kurdistan Region civil servants and security personnel struggling to manage holiday expenses.
On Tuesday, Rebaz Hamlan, financial advisor to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, told Zoom News that the Prime Minister intended to direct the Finance Minister to be ready for all possible outcomes concerning May salaries. However, the minister’s absence from Wednesday’s session, coupled with the lack of any official statement, has left the fate of May salaries uncertain.
On May 28, Iraq’s Ministry of Finance decided to suspend payments to the Kurdistan Region, citing overspending beyond its allocated share under the federal 2023–2025 budget law.
This latest move exacerbates a decade-long financial standoff between Baghdad and Erbil, leaving civil servants caught in a prolonged limbo of delayed and suspended payments.