Peregraf
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab announced that the KRG has reached an agreement with Iraq’s Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely payment of Kurdistan Region salaries in 2025.
“The January salary distribution will start in the next couple of days, and we hope this will be the last time salary distribution will be a news headline,” Janab stated. However, he did not address concerns over the unpaid December 2024 salaries, which remain a key issue.
Sheikh Janab emphasized that Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s efforts to resolve financial disputes with Baghdad have reached a conclusion, calling Iraq a “strategic depth” for Kurdistan’s economic stability.
Despite the agreement, frustration over salary delays continues to escalate, particularly in Sulaymaniyah, where teachers have been leading widespread protests. Hundreds of educators marched today, joining an ongoing strike that has disrupted schools for over a week. Demonstrators are demanding their salaries be incorporated into Iraq’s Tawteen banking system instead of the KRG’s Hazhmari Mn system, arguing it would ensure more consistent payments. They are also calling for the immediate settlement of all overdue wages and the reinstatement of job promotions that have been stalled since 2014.
For the past seven days, a group of teachers and public sector employees has maintained a sit-in outside the United Nations office in Sulaymaniyah, urging international organizations to pressure authorities into action. Twelve protesters have launched a hunger strike, with representatives warning of worsening health conditions. Medical teams monitoring the hunger strikers report that they are consuming only water, tea, and coffee, and their physical state is deteriorating.