US to investigate Kurdish budget cut from Baghdad

Hemin Salih – BasNews, Erbil – 14.5.2014 – A US delegation has visited the Kurdistan Region to review the Federal Government of Iraq’s decision to cut the Region’s budget.

The official Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Finance & Economy Ministry website has revealed that the economic advisor of the US embassy in Iraq, Robin Mattewman, and an official of the US general embassy in Kurdistan responsible for economic affairs, Erin Kosmier, have examined the KRG’s economic affairs and their economic relations with Baghdad.

With the Deputy Minister of Finance & Economy Rashid Tahir, the US delegates discussed the impact of Baghdad’s financial sanctions on the KRG, with emphasis on reducing the number of employees in the KRG’s public sector. Tahir stated: “During the last decade, the Kurdistan Region has never received its full yearly budget of 17% of the Iraqi budget. Due to excuses and complaints, they have reduced the budget of the KRG to 11% which affects the economy of the Kurdistan Region.” In the discussion, both sides hoped to find quick solutions to the disputes, based on the federal constitution of Iraq.