Kirkuk contractors demand payment of 200 billion dinars in unpaid dues

KIRKUK, Iraq — Contractors and project companies in Kirkuk will hold a protest in front of the local branch of the Iraqi Contractors Union to demand payment of accumulated financial dues, the union's Kirkuk branch head, Nuzad Anwar, said. Anwar said unpaid balances owed to contractors in the province have exceeded 200 billion Iraqi dinars, while more than 700 billion dinars in funding are needed to complete stalled or delayed projects. More than 400 projects in the province have been halted or delayed because of insufficient financing and the failure to release budget allocations, Anwar said. The union is calling on the Ministry of Finance to pay outstanding dues to all provinces without discrimination and to ensure that payment processing is not restricted to specific provinces only. Anwar noted that contracting firms have carried out the work required under their agreements, but many have yet to receive their entitled payments. He said the planned protest is intended to make contractors' concerns heard by the relevant authorities and to push for a resolution of the accumulated arrears file. No immediate response from the Ministry of Finance was reported.