Raising Minimum Pensions for Private Sector Retirees in Kurdistan

The General Directorate of Labor and Social Security in the Kurdistan Region has announced the implementation of a decision to raise the minimum retirement salary for private sector workers to 500,000 dinars, coinciding with the commencement of distributing September dues for retired workers. The Director General of Labor and Social Security, Mariwan Bakوك Aziz, confirmed that this step came under the direction of the region's Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, and by a decision from the Council of Ministers, with the aim of improving the living standards of this group. He pointed out that those whose previous salaries ranged between 150,000 and 400,000 dinars now have a minimum salary of 500,000 dinars starting from the month of September, affirming that this has been established and the decision is now in effect. Bakوك explained that retired workers, much like public sector employees, have their retirement salaries calculated based on years of service, specialization, and their last received salary. He indicated that the retirement and social security law in force in the region sets the retirement age for men upon reaching sixty years with twenty years of service, and for women upon reaching fifty-five years with twenty years of service. The official added that the number of workers covered by social security has exceeded 350,000 individuals, including 225,000 who were included during the ninth cabinet formation of the regional government, noting that the disbursement of September salaries for retired workers has begun at the new minimum limit.