The May salary list will be fully prepared in less than 48 hours, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). While the finalization process is underway, the Iraqi government has confirmed that a 1% salary deduction will apply to all civil servants in the Kurdistan Region this month.
Hiwa Efendi, Head of the KRG’s Information Technology Department, confirmed that the May salary list will be completed by Thursday. He stated that the payroll system is currently active and running smoothly. “There are no longer any issues with preparing the salary list. From now on, we can complete it monthly in just 48 hours,” Efendi said.
However, he added that procedural issues sometimes cause brief delays. This month, a delay occurred due to a pending decision from Baghdad on whether to apply a new salary deduction.
According to Efendi, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance informed the KRG only yesterday that the 1% salary deductionshould be implemented starting with May salaries. This caused a short postponement in finalizing the list.
The decision to deduct 1% was made under Resolution 281 by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and upon the recommendation of the Iraqi Minister of Finance. This deduction will be taken from the basic salaries of all government employees in the Kurdistan Region.
The deduction has already stirred debate among public employees. Many are concerned about its financial impact, especially amid rising living costs.
Still, the KRG emphasizes that the deduction was mandated by Baghdad, and the region must comply. The Ministry of Finance in Erbil is expected to distribute the salaries shortly after receiving the finalized list.
Despite this, government officials assure public workers that the system for salary preparation is now more efficient and reliable than in the past. They believe regular delays will become less frequent in the coming months.
The May salary list is expected to be ready for review and distribution before the end of the week, barring any further delays from Baghdad.