Labor Minister plans boost in special needs grants and social welfare for KRI
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Minister ofLabor and Social Affairs Kwestan Mohammed announced that a ministry delegationwill visit Baghdad in early August to discuss increasing financial grants forpeople with special needs and redistributing social welfare salaries foreligible families in the Kurdistan Region (KRI).
During a press conference, Mohammedstated, "Social welfare salaries, which have been cut since 2015, shouldbe reinstated and distributed like they are to the two million families inother regions of Iraq," emphasizing that "families living in povertyshould also receive benefits from the national budget."
Notably, the plan to increasefinancial grants for people with special needs and redistribute social welfaresalaries in the KRI faces several challenges, including budget constraints,administrative hurdles, and political resistance. Ensuring equitabledistribution and accurately assessing eligibility also complicates the process.
In addition, with the oil revenueshalted and a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration to suspend oil export throughthe Ceyhan pipeline, Kurdistan's primary income now comes from taxes collectedat border crossings with neighboring countries, including Iran and Turkiye, twoof Iraq's key regional trading partners.
