Erbil – The Kurdistan Regional Government insists on allocating 14% of the federal budget to the region, relying on the results of the latest population census, while discussions with the federal government regarding the preparation of the 2027 budget project continue.
A delegation from the Ministry of Finance of the Kurdistan Region has arrived in Baghdad to participate in preparing the budget project, carrying a number of financial demands, foremost among them the establishment of the region's share at 14% instead of the previously approved rate of 12.67%.
The regional government's demands are based on the results of the 2024 population census, which showed that the region's population constitutes about 14.1% of the total population of Iraq, according to the published data on this matter.
The delegation's demands include, in addition to the budget share, securing allocations for employee salaries, pensions, and Peshmerga forces, as well as budgets for medications and service and investment projects, and the promotion and stabilization of a number of employees and contractors.
The Kurdistan Regional Government's Council of Ministers previously confirmed the necessity of establishing the region's share in the budget according to the population percentage indicated by the census, and directed the negotiating committee to prepare a file for financial entitlements based on constitutional, legal, and financial frameworks.
These demands come as part of the ongoing financial negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil concerning the region's share and its oil and non-oil commitments, in preparation for the approval of the upcoming federal budget.