A newly released report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has exposed significant levels of corruption in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with Erbil (Hewlêr) identified as the region’s most corrupt area.
The report, which analyses corruption across various government sectors, highlights the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electricity, and Municipal Councils as the most affected by corrupt activities.
The UNDP report indicates that 43 percent of documented corruption cases in the Kurdistan Region were found in Erbil, followed by Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) at 33 percent and Duhok at 24 percent. These findings reveal systemic corruption, particularly within the Ministry of Finance, where 25 percent of the corruption cases are concentrated. The Ministry of Electricity and Municipal Councils are also significantly affected, with corruption rates of 18 and 17 percent respectively.
The report notes that corruption has infiltrated 20 ministries and commissions within the regional government. The Ministry of Finance, crucial to the region’s economic stability, is seen as particularly vulnerable to these corrupt practices.
Based on over 100 monitored court cases between November 2022 and December 2023, and 50 verdicts issued between 2016 and 2022, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of judicial handling of corruption in the region. The findings suggest that, while there have been some improvements in judicial proceedings, the conviction rates for high-level defendants remain low, with few senior government officials being held accountable.
In response, the report recommends several reforms to tackle corruption and improve transparency within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). These include establishing specialised courts for corruption cases, modernising the penal code to address issues such as private sector bribery, and enacting legislation to protect whistleblowers and victims.
The report also calls for stronger oversight in corruption-prone sectors and urges civil society organisations to take a more active role in monitoring corruption trials—an area where their involvement has been notably absent.
Erbil’s prominence in the report as the most corrupt city in the Kurdistan Region raises serious concerns about the governance of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which exerts considerable influence in the area. The KDP’s administration, particularly in Erbil, is now under increased scrutiny as the international community demands more robust action to combat corruption.
