Kurdish politician Saman Ali said on Friday that the Kurdistan Regional Government continues to withhold part of employee salaries despite worsening economic conditions in the region.
Speaking to dinaropinions.com, Ali claimed that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Finance is deducting portions of employee salaries under the pretext of treating them as deposits. He alleged that the practice amounts to a systematic process that has continued for years and said previous governments failed to properly investigate the issue.
Ali further claimed that the total amount withheld from employees over the past two months is close to two trillion Iraqi dinars. He criticized the federal government in Baghdad for remaining silent and not taking stronger action regarding the matter.
He also said many employees in the Kurdistan Region are calling on the central government to stop sending salary funds through the regional government and instead pay workers directly through federal government banks. According to Ali, supporters of this proposal believe it would help prevent manipulation or delays in salary payments.
His comments come as calls for protests have resurfaced in parts of the Kurdistan Region, with employees demanding regular salary payments, greater financial transparency, and accountability for those responsible for any violations related to public funds.
