Former Parliamentary Finance Committee member Abdul Hadi al-Saadawi has stated that the Kurdistan Regional Government has not accurately submitted employee data to the federal government, raising concerns about how the region’s share of the federal budget is calculated.
Al-Saadawi said that the figures provided by the Kurdistan Region regarding employee numbers and population percentages have been inaccurate for several years. According to him, the employee data submitted by the region does not match the actual population density used as a basis for determining budget allocations.
He stressed the need for the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to conduct a comprehensive review of employee records in all ministries of the Kurdistan Region, as well as in other Iraqi provinces. He said the goal should be to integrate all employee data into a unified federal system to improve transparency, finalize operational budget calculations, and eliminate any uncertainty regarding payroll figures.
Al-Saadawi added that discussions should also include the investment budget, noting that the Kurdistan Region receives its allocated share according to the percentage specified by law after oil revenues are transferred to the federal government in Baghdad.
The comments come amid ongoing debate between Baghdad and Erbil over budget shares, employee payrolls, and the accuracy of population and workforce data used in determining financial allocations.
