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Creating Problems for the Kurdistan Region: Provocation and Foolishness

The provocative practices of political actors in Baghdad toward the Kurds and the Kurdistan Region, particularly in obstructing and fabricating excuses on the path to resuming the export of Kurdish oil and paying salaries to employees and retirees in the region, have attracted attention and raised concerns among observers, rational thinkers, and defenders of Kurdish human rights keen on the security and stability of Iraq. They have repeatedly urged the Kurdish negotiators to exercise diplomacy, strategic patience, wisdom, and flexibility in dialogue to clarify issues until all negotiation and diplomatic efforts are exhausted, and to accept some partial and superficial treatments of specific issues and disputes while striving to reach acceptable solutions. They also called upon the other side in Baghdad and their representatives to adhere to previous promises, agreements, and statements, or at least to some of them, and to not ignore reality and its reasonable limits, potential changes, and to abandon manipulation and the policy of complicating matters to divert attention to subsidiary issues, while avoiding moral obligations and not underestimating the constitution they wrote and the laws they enacted, all in a distasteful game dominated by fanaticism, sectarianism, and chauvinism under the banners of majority and democracy.
Amid events that foreshadow significant changes, rounds of negotiations have taken place between Erbil and Baghdad, with numerous meetings and visits occurring over several barren years. However, it appears that those entrenched in a culture of arrogance, control, authoritarian mentality, and bad faith, who believe that manipulation is a viable means to address problems, continue to seek to shuffle the cards and waste time. They proceed along a path of ridicule-inducing indifference, committing new mistakes that may be even more egregious than past errors, with the aim of dragging the Kurds into new crises and blackmailing them regarding oil and financial entitlements outlined in the federal budget law, along with many other unresolved contentious issues.
These are the political players behind the barriers to the export of Kurdish oil and the complications delaying the payment of salaries to employees and retirees in the region with flimsy justifications. They impose political considerations far removed from legal, economic, and technical realities on the matters at hand, exhausting Kurdish negotiators in details that stray from the truth. Alongside them are all those striving to plunge the region (government and people) into severe economic crises, who do not respond to diplomacy or courteous dialogue, especially after the people of Kurdistan have grown weary of the masks of those whose true faces they recognize, of sweet words masking their real voices, and they are tired of political promises and bidding attempts that seek to usurp their will. They have confirmed that putting obstacles in the way of exporting their oil and withholding their monthly salaries is obstinacy, provocation, and foolishness. The logic of (argue with them in ways that are best) does not apply to them because they do not want to be given the opportunity to build a dictatorship-free Iraq that accommodates everyone, a democratic, federal, and united Iraq.
Therefore, to avoid dragging the region into crises and conflicts with dire consequences, there is a pressing need to solidify positions, mobilize resources, organize and arrange the internal Kurdish house, and build a clear collective Kurdish stance to face all possibilities, using it to close off doors and windows from which foul winds might blow. It is important not to put all the eggs in one basket, to engage with positive steps and expected changes, and to rely confidently and firmly on the legitimacy of the intended purpose and goal.
Lavant: Sobhi Salih
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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