Kurdistan Region Begins Preparations for 2027 Budget
At a Glance
- Preparations begin for Iraq's 2027 budget.
- Kurdistan Region seeks salaries and investment funding.
- Finance Ministry holds high-level coordination meeting.
- Census data to guide budget allocations.
The Kurdistan Region has officially begun preparations for Iraq's 2027 federal budget, seeking allocations for salaries, operational expenditures, and investment projects.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- The Kurdistan Region is preparing its 2027 budget requests.
- A high-level meeting was held at the Ministry of Finance to coordinate preparations.
- Budget discussions will rely on the latest population census data.
- Separate meetings will be held with ministries to determine funding requirements.
Finance Ministry Launches Budget Preparations
At the recommendation of the caretaker Council of Ministers, the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Finance held a high-level meeting on Sunday to begin preparations for Iraq's 2027 federal budget.
The meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab and attended by Planning Minister Dara Rashid, Electricity Minister Kamal Mohammad, Council of Ministers Secretary Amanj Rahim, Head of the Coordination and Follow-up Department Abdulhakim Khusraw, along with advisers and directors-general.
Region Seeks Constitutional Budget Entitlements
According to the Ministry of Finance, discussions focused on the Kurdistan Region's financial rights and entitlements under the constitution and relevant laws, using the latest general population census as the basis for calculating allocations.
The ministry said the Region is seeking funding for salaries, operational expenditures, investment projects, and other financial obligations.
The meeting decided that individual sessions will be held with all ministries and government institutions in the coming days.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the consultations are intended to determine each institution's financial needs so the Kurdistan Region's requests can be incorporated into Iraq's 2027 budget.
Salary and Investment Needs Under Review
The Ministry of Finance said it has spent several months estimating funding requirements for salaries, operational costs, investment spending, civil service employment positions, and the restoration of employee entitlements that were affected by the absence of a federal budget and the continuing financial crisis.
At the end of last month, Council of Ministers Secretary Amanj Rahim told Channel8 that, based on the latest population census, the Kurdistan Region should receive 14% of Iraq's federal budget.
He added that sovereign expenditures should be reviewed and that the Region should receive its share of operational spending, investment allocations, and provincial development funds.
FYI
The Kurdistan Region's share of Iraq's federal budget has remained a longstanding point of dispute between Erbil and Baghdad. Since 2014, the federal government has not consistently transferred the Region's budget allocations, despite annual budget laws specifying a share. Discussions over salaries, operational funding, investment spending, and revenue-sharing continue to play a central role in negotiations between the two governments.
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