"The three-year budget included the cost of oil production according to the national benchmark," al-Sudani responded to a question from a correspondent of Shafaq News Agency during a press conference.
"The cost of extracting oil in the Kurdistan region alone is above this benchmark," he added. "Oil companies operating in the region have halted production."
"The funding of the salaries of Kurdistan's public servants did not stop. The region received a payment in February, as per the budget law, which obliges the government to send the schedules to the parliament."
"The fiscal deficit in the 2023 budget amounts to 60 trillion dinars," he said.