Iraqi central government in Baghdad transferred $380 million to the Kurdish Regional Government, KRG, in May, a member of the Finance Committee of Parliament said on Monday.
'According to the agreement made by Baghdad and the KRG, 550,000 barrels of oil is delivered from the KRG to SOMO, the State Organization for Marketing of Oil, which is responsible for marketing Iraq's oil,' the MP of the Kurdistan Islamic Community Party and the member of the Finance Committee, Ahmet Haci Reshit told Anadolu Agency.
'For April, $410 million were sent, and $380 million were deposited for May,' Reshit said, adding Baghdad sends the salaries of the KRG public servants to some degree.
Earlier on Monday, KRG Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani said if the Iraqi federal government in Baghdad won’t honor the deal it made with the KRG, about oil shipments and national budget, his government will look for alternative solutions.
According to an agreement reached on Dec. 2, 2014 between Erbil and Baghdad, the KRG was to export 250,000 barrels of oil per day, and the Kirkuk province would send 300,000 barrels per day via SOMO.
In return, Baghdad was to provide 17 percent of the national budget to the KRG. However, the KRG claims that Baghdad has made only a small portion of the payments due.
Reporting By Idris Okuducu
Writing By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
murat.temizer@aa.com.tr