The demonstration was organized by employees from teaching and traffic sectors in the governorate, Shafaq News reported,

Sulaimani and other cities in the region have recently witnessed protests over the delay in salaries payments, especially after the government's decision to temporarily deduct salaries due to the financial crisis.

The spokesman for Kurdistan Regional Government, Jutiar Adel, denied, on Saturday, any delay in the distribution of salaries in the region, indicating that the distribution process will run according to the announced schedule.

Referring to a recent meeting of the KRG cabinet, Jutiar Adel said the amount of salaries paid to KRG employees depends on government revenues and financial capabilities, and the KRG makes a decision on whether to increase or reduce the amount of salaries given to the employees, the media of the region reported.

The KRG spokesperson further added that by enacting law reforms in the region, the level of the region’s income will increase and the government’s revenues will be provided from oil sale, domestic revenues and funds from Baghdad, and then the regional government will decide on the salary rates given to the employees and whether to reduce the salaries by 21 percent or not.

According to the official the Ministry of Finance and Economy in the region’s government will continue to distribute the salaries of all ministries, departments and bodies not affiliated with the ministry according to the schedules it announced, setting July 15th as final date.

A spokesman for the Jemaat-e Islami (Kurdistan Islamic Community Party) told Kurdpress that "the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) does not intend to implement radical reforms, including transparency in income sources and ending the illegal sources of income for parties and related companies, but it reduces employees' salaries. This is a great injustice. The salary cuts and, on the other hand, the failure to pay monthly salaries is a discrimination against the citizens of the region. "

A KRG delegation meeting, led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his deputy Qubad Talabani, was held on Saturday, June 21, through a video conference. The meeting decided to reduce the salaries paid to employees by 21%. The decision generated strong reactions from citizens and government employees. The opposition parties, including Jemaat-e Islami, the Islamic Alliance and the new generation, reacted strongly to the decision and refused it. The reaction of the Change Movement and the PUK, as partners in the government, was different in this regard. Diverse voices were heard by the two parties and their leaders in rejecting the KRG’s decision.

In regard to the decision of the Kurdish Regional Government to reduce the salaries of its employees, Ribwar Hamad, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Islamic Community (KOMEL), said: The ninth administration's decision to reduce the payments is a great injustice against the KRG employees. Unfortunately, the Kurdistan Regional Government does not dare to enter into the cases of economic corruption in the region but decides to reduce the payments. The government is unable to cut the illegal salaries of the people who have no jobs and receive salaries, and those who receive several salaries illegally.

Reporter’s code: 50101