Kurdistan Regional Government Cabinet Votes to Reorganize Public Finances and Supports President Barzani's National Reconciliation Initiative
• The Cabinet confirms its support for the Kurdistan Regional Government's endorsement of President Masoud Barzani's initiative and message for national reconciliation.
• The Cabinet discusses the latest developments related to the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.
Today, May 14, 2023, the weekly meeting of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Cabinet was held, chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and attended by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed his pleasure at the return of the ministerial bloc of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to the Cabinet meetings. He also reaffirmed the KRG's support for President Masoud Barzani's initiative and his message aimed at achieving national reconciliation. He stressed the necessity of the unity of Kurdish parties to defend national interests.
On the agenda, the Prime Minister presented an update on the latest developments regarding the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, within the framework of the agreement signed between the KRG and the federal government on April 4, 2023. He stated that the KRG has fulfilled all its commitments according to the agreement, and is waiting for a final agreement to be reached between the federal government and the Turkish government to resume oil exports from the region. He also emphasized the importance of the federal government sending the necessary budget amounts to the KRG to pay the salaries of employees until the federal budget law is approved, securing the KRG's financial rights and dues within the federal budget.
The Cabinet also discussed a project to reorganize public finances in the Kurdistan Region. After deliberations and discussions, the Cabinet unanimously voted to reorganize public finances throughout the region through centralizing revenues, liquidity, expenses, and salaries. To achieve this, all sources of revenue in banks, treasuries, border crossings, tax and fee directorates will be organized to protect revenues and ensure their proper utilization.
