After a period of suspension, the contract employment (replacement) process in the Kurdistan Region is entering a new phase. The Council of Ministers has officially sent the decree to resume the process to the Ministries of Higher Education and Education, while the Ministry of Finance is currently discussing the guidelines for issuing these contracts.

Dr. Twana Najaf, Director General of the Administrative and Financial Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, told Rudaw Media Network on Tuesday, October 20, 2026: "The KRG Council of Ministers has officially sent the decree resuming replacement employment to our ministry, and only the subsequent procedures remain to begin the contracting process."

Regarding rumors that the Civil Service Board and the Ministry of Finance had already sent the contracting guidelines to begin employment, Dr. Najaf clarified: "We are aware that the Ministry of Finance has discussed the procedures, but they have not yet issued the guidelines, nor have they been sent to us."

He further indicated that once the procedures are issued, their ministry will employ around 1,000 individuals on a contract basis, according to the guidelines, replacing those who are no longer employed for any reason. He emphasized that all graduates have the right to apply for a contract, provided their degrees match those of the individuals they are replacing.

Previously, according to an official letter (No. 9722) from the Presidency of the Diwan of the Council of Ministers, issued on August 9, 2026, and signed by Dr. Omed Sabah, the replacement process had been completely suspended. This resumption decision also includes the Ministry of Education, but as of today, the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Service Board have not sent the guidelines to them either.

It is worth noting that the decision to resume replacement employment was approved during the KRG Council of Ministers meeting on September 16, 2026, and the official letter for its implementation was issued on October 10, 2026, which has now been forwarded to the ministries. According to the guidelines, university and institute graduates holding diploma, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees are eligible to apply for contract employment.