ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq -- Iraq’s ruling coalition on Saturday called for the swift passage of the country’s 2027 federal budget, stressing its direct impact on citizens’ lives, after the cabinet returned the draft to the finance ministry for revisions.

Iraq’s Council of Ministers in mid-October reportedly returned the draft 2027 federal budget to the finance ministry for revisions, delaying its submission to parliament. The proposed bill had been contested and faced heavy criticism from Kurdish authorities in particular. 

The State Administration Coalition, an alliance of political forces that formed Iraq’s past two governments, met in Baghdad late Saturday and called for approval of the federal budget.

“The coalition discussed the draft budget law and stressed the importance of passing it within the constitutional and specified timeframes,” it said in a statement. 

The coalition further stressed that the federal budget bill “directly impacts citizens’ service and living needs, and their right to a decent life.” 

A sticking point in the proposed budget bill was the Kurdistan Region. Earlier in October, second deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament Farhad Atrushi, a Kurd, warned that Baghdad’s draft for the 2027 budget has “bad things for the Kurdistan Region.” 

He further criticized Finance Minister Falih al-Sari for attempting to hide the draft. 

A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) negotiating delegation has visited Baghdad numerous times in recent months to hold budget talks with federal officials. The previous draft allocated the usual 12.67 percent to Erbil, The New Region has learned, while Kurdistan Region officials argue that the figure should be raised to 14.14 percent based on census data.

In mid-September, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the Region’s share of federal allocations must be based on its actual population size, which he put at 14.14 percent of Iraq’s total population, arguing that anything below that figure is “unfair.”