At a Glance

• Farhad Atrushi stressed political consensus essential to defend KRG allocations.
• Kurdish ministers must insert demands before the bill reaches parliament.
• Atrushi said new population statistics justify increasing Kurdistan budget share.

Farhad Atrushi, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament and a lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), stated that a "unified" Kurdish stance in Baghdad and active efforts by Kurdish ministers to ensure KRG demands are incorporated are essential to securing the Kurdistan Region's 2027 budget share, which he stressed must be set at 14% based on population statistics.

Key Statement and Focus Area

• Farhad Atrushi told Channel8 that “we, as Kurds, must maintain a unified stance, particularly within the Federal Council of Ministers and the Council of Representatives.”
• Atrushi said that “we must exert efforts within the Council of Ministers, specifically Kurdish ministers, to ensure that our demands are incorporated when the draft budget law is formulated.”
• He noted that “looking at the constitution, the law, and the statistics, the Kurdish population in Iraqi Kurdistan now exceeds 14 percent; therefore, our budget share must be 14 percent.”

Speaking to Channel8, Atrushi emphasized that “the most critical and primary factor” to guarantee Kurdish rights in the 2027 budget is that Kurdish representatives in Baghdad should have a cohesive position “in actions rather than just words.”

“This issue belongs to all of us and to every citizen of Kurdistan; it is neither a PUK nor a KDP matter, nor does it belong to one or two individuals,” he added.

Atrushi highlighted that the second important guarantor is that Kurdish ministers must ensure Kurdistan's demands are included during the initial draft stages of the budget law.

“This is crucial because if our demands are left out and the draft reaches parliament, it becomes extremely difficult to add them; the constitution dictates that parliament lacks the authority to make major, fundamental changes to the budget draft. It can only conduct reallocations (transfers), and in some instances, it is only authorized to reduce expenditures, not increase them,” he clarified.

He mentioned that all federal and KRG authorities, including Kurdish ministers and the President, must cooperate to support the Kurdistan Region's fiscal rights while lawmakers secure broader parliamentary backing.

FYI

The Kurdistan Regional Government announced the submission of its finalized 2027 draft budget proposal to Baghdad yesterday in both digital and physical formats after a month of intensive financial reviews. 

This comprehensive proposal seeks a definitive 14.1% national budget share based on population data to secure full public salaries, Peshmerga entitlements, and healthcare funding, an increase from the previous baseline of 12.67%.

Furthermore, the draft addresses long-standing local grievances by restoring frozen civil service promotions, regularizing contract teachers, and introducing a permanent biometric resolution for unregistered payroll beneficiaries.

Stressing that this thorough preparation establishes a solid foundation to resolve outstanding disputes, the KRG Ministry of Finance called on all Kurdish parliamentary blocs to maintain a unified front during upcoming legislative debates.

In the meantime, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi told the 8th Baghdad Dialogue Conference today that the government will soon submit the 2027 draft budget to parliament. 

He underlined that the upcoming budget will serve as a strategic roadmap for the future of the country's economy, placing a heavy focus on upgrading the electricity sector and expanding the utilization of solar energy. 

Al-Zaidi Says Government Will Soon Submit Budget to Parliament 

KRG Submits 2027 Federal Budget Proposal to Baghdad 

Finance Minister Orders Acceleration of Iraq's First Program and Performance Budget

Kurdistan Region Begins Preparations for 2027 Budget

Iraqi Parliamentary Committee Discusses Mechanisms for Preparing the 2027 Budget and Reform Steps