The Iraqi Council of Ministers is to convene today, chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and is expected to discuss the financial rights of Kurdistan Region public sector employees, the new oil agreement, and the State Council report on non-oil revenues of the Kurdistan Region, while set to resolve several issues and make important decisions.

One of the most significant issues to be put before the Council of Ministers is the matter of six months of salaries this year. For the KRG, the oil issue, the non-oil revenue issue, and the salary issue are all one package.

Channel8 previously reported that the KRG has requested Baghdad to resume sending salaries on time after the first batch of oil is delivered, stressing that payments must begin with July. So far this year, Baghdad has disbursed six months of salaries.

Speaking to Channel8 earlier, Narmin Maaroof, a member of the Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, noted that any agreement should not only cover the six months of salaries for this year but also guarantee salaries for next year.

State Council Report On Revenues

The State Council report, published on Monday and sent to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, spans 21 pages and outlines the Council’s views on tax revenues, federal fees, border crossing revenues, petrodollars, and excise duties under the Budget and Federal Financial Management Law.

The Council of Ministers will decide on the content of the report, or it may refer the matter to the Federal Supreme Court. Since the role of the State Council is advisory, a Council advisor earlier told Channel8 that the issue of non-oil revenues should ultimately be resolved by the Federal Supreme Court.

Tripartite Oil Export Agreement Signed

Yesterday, a tripartite agreement was signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, and oil companies on oil exports, which have been halted since March 25, 2023.

A source in the Iraqi North Oil Company confirmed to Channel8 that they are ready to restart exports once they receive official approval.

“If the tripartite agreement between Erbil, Baghdad, and the companies on the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region is signed by Tuesday, the problem of non-oil revenues will be easy to solve, because the main problem is oil,” Iraqi parliament member Karwan Yarwais told Channel8.