Shafaq News..Erbil demands fair share in Iraq 2027 budget

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is pushing to secure its
constitutional share of the country’s 2027 federal budget, including oil
revenues, investment funds and international financing, as Baghdad prepares the
draft law for next year.

The KRG delegation raised those demands during talks in
Baghdad on Sept. 9 with several federal ministries.

According to a KRG statement, during the meeting with Iraqi
Finance Minister Faleh Sari, the delegation called for KRI’s financial share
and entitlements to be determined on a fair constitutional and legal basis,
with a clear formula governing financial relations between Baghdad and Erbil.

Al-Sari affirmed that the Finance Ministry would address
the Kurdistan Region’s financial rights in line with the constitution and
relevant laws.

The delegation, in a meeting with the undersecretary of the
Ministry of Planning, along with Directors General overseeing government
investment, discussed the allocation of investment funds based on the latest
national population census, as well as financing for KRI development projects
and petro-dollar allocations.

Read more: Cabinet to vote on Iraq’s 2027 budget in September

The delegation also sought a share of international loans,
aid and grants, arguing that the Kurdistan Region bears responsibility for
repaying its proportional share of those loans and their interest and should
therefore benefit from the financing.

Planning Ministry officials agreed to consider the
proposals during the budget process, with both sides committing to continued
technical and legal coordination.

The discussions with Iraqi officials also focused on oil,
one of the main sources of tension between Baghdad and Erbil. The delegation
held talks about the sector’s provisions in the 2027 budget, including
projected export volumes, oil production from Kurdistan’s fields, the estimated
oil price for 2027, and volumes allocated for domestic consumption.

The Kurdistan delegation said oil produced in the Kurdistan
Region for export would be handed over to the State Organization for Marketing
of Oil (SOMO) for sale on international markets, with the proceeds transferred
to Baghdad.

The delegation also reaffirmed Kurdistan’s commitment to
its constitutional and legal obligations, while urging Baghdad to secure
Erbil’s financial and constitutional rights, particularly the salaries and
entitlements of its employees, on a fair basis and on par with their
counterparts elsewhere in Iraq.

Read more: 2026 budget: Iraq confronts unprecedented fiscal strain