KDP’s tribal 'My Account' aims to control Kurdistan pay system

KDPs tribal my account program aims to control Kurdistan pay system: opposition — Noor Fareeq, a member of the National Stance Movement (Rewtî Helwêstî Nîştimanî), May 2025. Photo: Screengrab/Iraqi TV/via iKurd.net

Erbil using starvation tactics against Kurds, Baghdad must intervene, Noor Fareeq says

SULAIMANI,— A leading figure in the Kurdish opposition has accused the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of deliberately worsening the economic situation in the region, calling on Iraq’s federal government in Baghdad to intervene and hold Erbil accountable.

Noor Fareeq, a member of the National Stance Movement (Rewtî Helwêstî Nîştimanî), appeared on Alsumaria TV’s “Ashreen” program where she criticized the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by the Barzani family, for maintaining a grip on power and excluding other Kurdish political groups.

“Barzani’s party monopolizes decisions and only involves others in moments of crisis,” Fareeq said, noting that a recent KDP-called meeting lacked attendance from rival Kurdish parties.

Fareeq directed sharp criticism at the KRG’s recent banking initiative, the “Hisabi” program—also known as “Hejmarî min” or “My Account.” She described it as a “Barzani tribal project” designed to control salaries and strengthen political influence over public employees.

“The program is being used as a tool to threaten staff. Employees are told their salaries will be cut if they don’t sign up,” she said.

Although the KRG says the initiative is aimed at modernizing payment systems for over a million employees, delays and interruptions in salary disbursement remain widespread.

Fareeq said that while the KRG promotes economic independence, its financial mismanagement has caused severe hardship.

She urged Baghdad to take stronger action, including suspending salaries of the President of the Republic and senior regional leaders until Erbil complies with national agreements.

“Erbil is directly responsible for the suffering of Kurdish citizens. These policies are hurting people’s ability to survive,” she stated.

In a letter dated May 28, 2028, Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami informed the KRG that continued federal payments were not possible due to budget overruns. The Kurdish region had already received 13.547 trillion dinars—exceeding its legally allotted 12.67% share under the Federal Budget Law.

The letter noted that from 2023 through April 2025, the Kurdistan Region collected 19.9 trillion dinars in total oil and non-oil revenues but transferred only 598.5 billion dinars to the federal government.

In February 2025, Iraq’s Parliamentary Integrity Committee reported that 20 unauthorized border crossings in the Kurdistan Region were being used to smuggle oil, cigarettes, and narcotics.

In response, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Finance said on May 29, 2025, that Erbil’s share should be calculated based on revenues gathered by the federal government, not overall expenditures. The ministry cited a ruling from the Federal Supreme Court requiring Baghdad to pay salaries from the region’s share of the annual budget.

Still, the Federal Ministry of Finance argued that the KRG has not complied with agreed revenue transfers, despite Baghdad honoring its obligations under the tripartite federal budget.

Separately, the New Generation Movement (Newey Nwê) said restoring political integrity in the Kurdistan Region requires reviving the regional parliament and empowering official institutions, instead of continuing to make major political decisions through party divans.