Kurdistan PM orders legal action against disruption of “Hisabi” payroll project
Shafaq News/Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has instructed the ministriesof Finance, Interior, and the Attorney General to enforce strict legal andadministrative measures against those obstructing the My Account (Hisabi) payrollproject, which aims to localize salaries for government employees. Thisdirective follows a recent decision to shut down Hisabi offices in Al-Sulaymaniyah,according to an official document.
BafelTalabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), had campaigned in thelatest Kurdistan parliamentary elections, held on October 20, for analternative localization project and urged employees to reject Hisabi, callingit a “project of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.” His stance gained supportfrom some political factions in Al-Sulaymaniyah.
Thepost-election closure of Hisabi offices in Al-Sulaymaniyah banks quickly prompteda strong response from PM Barzani.
Followingthe KRG’s directives, Chief of Staff Umed Sabah issued an official letter tothe attorney general and relevant ministries on Sunday, warning that anydisruption of the project would lead to accountability measures.
The documentstipulates that the Ministry of Finance is to take legal action against bankmanagers or government officials who hinder Hisabi employees, based on Articles4 and 5 of the Public Employee Control Law.
Additionally,the Ministry of Interior is directed to investigate and penalize policeofficers and officials involved in obstructing Hisabi staff, per InternalSecurity Law No. 14 of 2008.
The attorneygeneral is tasked with initiating criminal cases against those who disrupt Hisabioperations under Articles 231 and 240 of the Penal Code and the PublicProsecutor Law No. 159 of 1975.
In a broadermandate, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a notice to all ministries andnon-ministerial entities, underscoring the importance of implementing Hisabiand warning against any attempts to obstruct it.
Hisabi’spayroll localization aligns with a ruling by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court onFebruary 21, which mandated the localization of salaries for Kurdistan Regionemployees through Iraqi federal banks to protect wages from political tensionsbetween Erbil and Baghdad.
Thiscontroversy over payroll systems arises as the Kurdistan Democratic Party(KDP), which emerged as the dominant party in the recent elections, prepares tonegotiate with other political factions, including the PUK, to form the KRG’stenth cabinet.
