SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — The KRG education minister said they were promised by Kurdistan's finance ministry that Kurdish teachers will be paid their wages before the Newroz break, and this coupled with the promises by the Iraqi government are "very promising."
"A few days ago and even yesterday, [the KRG] finance minister pledged that before the Newroz [break], teachers’ salaries will be given," Pshtiwan Sadiq, the KRG education minister, told Rudaw at an event in Sulaimani organized to mark the coinciding International Women's Day and the Kurdish Clothing Day.
He added "at the same time the Iraqi government has made the same promise” and the current indications on the ground are "very promising.”
The KRG itself will disburse the salaries of the education ministry in a few days, Sadiq expressed, in addition to those from Baghdad.
Though, he claimed the Iraqi government "is playing with time."
"But, this is our right according to the institution that these rights must be provided by Baghdad as long as we are with Iraq," he emphasized.
Baghdad may send salaries for the KRG ministries which have been audited before Newroz, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday.
“Inshallah we will pay the Region’s salaries and re-open the airports before Newroz,” Abadi said in a press conference, later repeating, “Inshallah soon, maybe before Newroz.”
Clarifying that payments may begin soon only in the ministries that have been completely audited, health and education, Abadi said: “The audit will continue but we will pay salaries according to what we have finished.”
Speaking earlier this week, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani pledged to pay public sector salaries at whatever the cost.
"We will distribute salaries from the revenues we have and what we receive, regardless of how much it is,” he said.
Baghdad has stated on numerous time it would pay the Kurdistan Region’s public sector salaries, but only after the employee lists were audited, citing concern about bloated employee rolls and corruption.
Talking of the resumption of classes in Sulaimani after months of boycott, Sadiq they were pleased to see classes resuming.
"Today is a pleasant day that we are in the beloved city of Sulaimani seeing studies have resumed," he said.
He described the situation of teachers due to the crippling economic crisis in the Kurdistan Region as "dire".
"We are committed to defending their rights," he added.
"We are promising teachers that we will be an advocate of their fundamental rights."
He voiced concern over possibilities which might hurdle the resumption of classes saying time is running out as studies are nearing end.
"Very few time is left as the final examinations near and if we altogether as the KRG and Education Ministry and teachers, do not ramp up, children in Sulaimani will damage a lot and that it will not be compensated very easily," he warned.
He warned if studies do not resume in Sulaimani in the next few days, this years studies "will be at stake" in the city.
