Masrour Barzani to Parliamentary Finance: Halting oil exports caused Iraq to lose $19 billion

Posted on[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] by [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Masrour Barzani to Parliamentary Finance: Halting oil exports caused Iraq to lose $19 billion[/size]

[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, confirmed that the halt in Kurdistan oil exports caused a loss of $19 billion for the Kurdistan Region and the federal budget, stressing the need not to exploit the salaries and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region as a political pressure card.[/size]
[size=45]Today, Wednesday (September 25, 2024), Masrour Barzani held a meeting with the head and members of the Finance Committee in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.[/size]
[size=45]The statement said that at the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the parliamentary delegation, pointing out the importance of this visit.[/size]
[size=45]He expressed his hope that it would result in further clarifications on issues and matters related to the financial rights and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region, and the resolution of outstanding disputes.[/size]
[size=45]He stated that “the Kurdistan Region is committed to performing its duties and protecting its rights as stipulated in the Constitution,” stressing “the necessity of implementing all articles of the Constitution as one package.”[/size]
[size=45]Masrour Barzani stressed that “good faith, mutual respect, and commitment to the federal system and the constitutional entity of the region will facilitate the resolution of all outstanding problems,” adding: “We want to establish the best relations with the federal government, and joint cooperation is necessary to serve the citizens.”[/size]
[size=45]“The necessity of not exploiting salaries and entitlements” He stressed “the necessity of not exploiting the salaries and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region as a political pressure card, and the importance of treating the region fairly and justly, like the rest of the regions of Iraq, with the necessity of granting the Kurdistan Region its full financial rights without any obstacles or problems, in addition to guaranteeing its right to appoint new employees according to the federal general budget law, as is the case in the rest of Iraq.”[/size]
[size=45]In another context of the meeting, Masrour Barzani pointed out that “the halt in Kurdistan oil exports has caused financial losses exceeding $19 billion to the region and the federal budget, which requires resuming exports as soon as possible, and working to legislate a federal law regulating oil and gas affairs.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, the head of the parliamentary finance committee, Atwan Al-Atwani, expressed, on behalf of the delegation, his “thanks to the regional government for the warm welcome and good cooperation,” indicating that “their visit aims to address the pending issues in a serious and radical manner, especially those related to financial problems.”[/size]
[size=45]The statement concluded by saying that the Parliamentary Finance Committee will continue to hold meetings with the relevant authorities in the regional government over two days in Erbil.[/size]
[size=45]In turn, the Parliamentary Finance Committee stated that the committee's delegation, headed by Atwan Al-Atwani, met today, Wednesday, with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, in Erbil, to discuss the files of localizing the salaries of the region's employees, the work of customs and taxes, the automation of the border crossings system, the extent of commitment to implementing the provisions of the federal budget for the years (2023-2025), and the understanding on oil contracts with international companies.[/size]
[size=45]The meeting discussed, according to a statement by the committee, a number of financial files related to the region’s revenues, government expenditures, and the localization of employees’ salaries. It also discussed ways to address the pending issues between the central government and the regional government, and to identify the obstacles with the aim of overcoming them, in accordance with the constitution, to bring viewpoints closer together, and to ensure the strengthening of the state’s financial resources.[/size]
[size=45]The emphasis was placed on “the necessity of establishing a new phase of understandings based on rights and duties and achieving justice in the distribution of wealth, especially with regard to the oil export file by creating a common space for understanding on the issue of reviewing current oil contracts with companies, and adapting them legally to be consistent with the constitution.”[/size]
[size=45]The statement concluded by conveying Al-Atwani’s “emphasis on the committee’s keenness to maximize non-oil revenues and unify the work of the ports to support the state treasury.”[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]