The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers issued critical directives to fast-track delayed civil service pensions, resolve ongoing federal wheat procurement disputes, and safeguard Kurdistan's legal share of Iraq's sovereign budget allocations.

The cabinet convened on Wednesday, chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, to discuss delayed retiree pensions, Baghdad’s wheat procurement for local farmers, provincial council members' pension rights, and Kurdistan's share of federal sovereign budget expenditures. 

KRG Fast-Tracks Pensions and Secures Council Rights

Regarding the delayed pensions of retired employees, the cabinet emphasized resolving this issue “swiftly and legally.” Necessary directives were issued to relevant ministries to take all administrative steps with federal institutions to secure these pensions retroactively.

The KRG discussed the pension eligibility of Kurdistan's provincial council members, stating that those meeting age and service requirements possess full legal rights that must be protected. 

To ensure proper implementation, the council formed a special committee comprising the Presidency of the Diwan, the Council Secretariat, and the Ministries of Interior, and Finance and Economy.

KRG Demands Fair Wheat Procurement and Maps New Crop Strategy

The government also thoroughly reviewed Baghdad's annual procurement plan for purchasing Kurdistan Region's current wheat crop. 

The primary issues involve Baghdad's restrictive annual procurement quotas and logistical hurdles that obstruct the federal government from fully receiving the Kurdistan's current wheat harvest. 

These constraints create severe marketing bottlenecks for local farmers, forcing the KRG to establish internal sales mechanisms while negotiating with federal authorities to ensure the entire crop is fairly purchased.

In the session, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources presented a data-driven report detailing total wheat production, marketing obstacles, and ongoing coordination efforts between KRG ministries and their federal counterparts.

The Council of Ministers decided coordination with the relevant federal authorities "must continue to resolve issues and eliminate obstacles to receiving and marketing the Kurdistan Region farmers' crops.” 

Consequently, the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade, alongside the Board of Investment, were jointly tasked with establishing a mechanism to market and sell Kurdistan's wheat crop.

The cabinet stressed that Baghdad must implement the wheat procurement plan “fairly and equally, while taking into account the specific context and needs of the Kurdistan Region.”

Fair Budget Shares and Constitutional Report on Citizen Subsidies

The council concluded by reviewing sovereign expenditures from the federal budget, specifically the monthly food basket allocations.

While backing Baghdad's food system reforms, the cabinet demanded Kurdistan's fair and legal share of subsidies for food, medicine, wheat marketing, and energy. 

Thus, relevant ministries were directed to draft a data-backed constitutional report to secure these citizen entitlements within the federal budget law.