Kurdistan cabinet moves to protect regional share of federal spending

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, concluded its weekly meeting with a decision to strengthen coordination with federal authorities in Baghdad. The cabinet stressed the need to safeguard the region’s legal share of the federal budget across several spending categories, including identity cards, medicine, wheat procurement, and energy and electricity support. Relevant ministries were instructed to prepare a detailed report, in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Diwan and the Council’s Secretariat, documenting the legal and constitutional basis for the region’s entitlements. The cabinet also called for urgent steps to guarantee the rights of Kurdistan’s citizens within the framework of the federal budget. During the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources presented data on 2026 wheat output and outlined obstacles in the procurement and marketing process. The Agriculture and Water Resources, Trade and Industry ministries, along with the Investment Authority, were tasked with jointly marketing farmers’ wheat. The cabinet also decided to pursue legal and administrative measures, in coordination with federal bodies, to ensure unpaid pension benefits are delivered to retired civil servants. A special commission comprising the Prime Minister’s Diwan, the Council’s Secretariat, and the Ministries of Interior and Finance and Economy was established to protect the pension rights of provincial council members who have completed the required age and service requirements.