The PUK delivered on its promise to pay back salary savings

PUKMEDIA

PUK logo and Iraqi Parliament in the background.

With the Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament voting in favor of the budget bills for 2023, 2024, and 2025, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which is always concerned about the people and citizens of the Kurdistan Region, has kept its word to pay back the salary savings of the Kurdistan Region's employees and retirees.

Dr. Narmin Maruf, a member of the Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, told PUKMEDIA that the PUK added the citizen's demands to paragraphs 13 and 14 of the federal budget bill for the years 2023-2024-2025, one of which was that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must give priority to paying the salaries of employees and retirees and that The KRG is mandated to repay employees 10% of the salary savings each month.

"According to the budget bill, if the KRG fails to comply with the principles of equality and justice, then each province of the Kurdistan Region can directly demand its rights and financial entitlements from the Iraqi federal government and receive its share, which guarantees the rights of the provinces, districts, and sub-districts," she explained.

"The PUK kept the commitment it made to the people that it would protect their rights and entitlements," she said.

Dr. Maruf explained that the draft federal budget bill requires oil revenues exported from the Kurdistan Region to be deposited in the Central Bank of Iraq. Then the Federal Minister of Finance authorizes the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region to withdraw the funds. The bill includes a paragraph requiring the government to pay regional dues equally and without discrimination.

Harem Kamal Agha, the leader of the PUK faction in the Iraqi Parliament, previously told PUKMEDIA that the Parliamentary Finance Committee had voted on the draft general budget bill for the years 2023-2024-2025 and that the PUK had kept all of its pledges.

He added that the PUK was and is committed to upholding the rights of the people. After promising to make defending citizens' rights to a living and protecting their budget a priority of its work and duties in Baghdad and the Iraqi parliament, the PUK has now come through on that promise and has been able to guarantee the salaries of employees and retirees in the Kurdistan Region as well as their rights and entitlements.

On the PUK's recommendation, the Finance Committee of the Iraqi Parliament approved paragraphs 13 and 14 of the Iraqi budget bill for 2023, 2024, and 2025 on Thursday evening, May 25, 2023.



PUKMEDIA