A KRG delegation meeting, led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his deputy Qubad Talabani, was held on Saturday, June 21, through a video conference. The meeting decided to reduce the salaries paid to employees by 21%. The decision generated strong reactions from citizens and government employees. The opposition parties, including Jemaat-e Islami, the Islamic Alliance and the new generation, reacted strongly to the decision and refused it. The reaction of the Change Movement and the PUK, as partners in the government, was different in this regard. Diverse voices were heard by the two parties and their leaders in rejecting the KRG’s decision.

In regard to the decision of the Kurdish Regional Government to reduce the salaries of its employees, Ribwar Hamad, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Islamic Community (KOMEL), said: The ninth administration's decision to reduce the payments is a great injustice against the KRG employees. Unfortunately, the Kurdistan Regional Government does not dare to enter into the cases of economic corruption in the region but decides to reduce the payments. The government is unable to cut the illegal salaries of the people who have no jobs and receive salaries, and those who receive several salaries illegally.

The KRG has no intention of making root reforms, including transparency in sources of incomes and bringing an end to the illegitimate income of parties and companies affiliated with them, but it reduces employees' salaries, Hamad explained, stressing that this is a great injustice. “The salary cuts, and on the other hand, the failure to pay monthly salaries, are discriminations against citizens. Employees should have been paid six salaries this year, but they have been paid two months only.”

He further noted that in the previous cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government, a biometric system was implemented and all employees received biometrics codes. The current government is well aware of the issues and problems of economic corruption, including the payment of two or three salaries to a large number of employees, but is silent and passive in this regard. The reason for this silence is that all those who are subject to corruption, who receive employees' salaries without doing anything, or are paid two and a few salaries, are all political party employees and elements, and an army of illegitimate employees has been made. The "big corruption" is this case, and while the government does not intend to get into this corruption and, in return, it reduces the right of real employees who receive their legal and legitimate rights. This is a widespread and comprehensive oppression and exists in other parts of Iraq.

The spokesman said: “The decision of the Kurdistan Regional Government in reducing salaries is completely illegal because only the Kurdistan Parliament has the authority to make such a decision and can specify the payment systems and reduce the salaries.

Reporter’s code: 50101