Peregraf
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has expressed serious concern over prolonged delays by Iraq’s Trade Bank (TBI) in implementing a key component of its financial inclusion initiative, according to a public statement posted on X by Aziz Ahmed, deputy chief of staff to the KRG prime minister.
Ahmed revealed that despite a pledge made a year ago by TBI’s chairman to install 100 new ATMs across the Kurdistan Region under the MyAccount program, not a single purchase order has been issued so far. The program is intended to modernize and expand access to banking services for civil servants and other citizens in the region.
“Despite over 40,000 applications from KRG employees, TBI has yet to issue a purchase order for any ATM,” Ahmed stated. “Card printing is also delayed for civil servants who have waited patiently for months.”
The MyAccount initiative is central to the KRG’s efforts to enhance digital financial services and reduce reliance on cash-based transactions. The lack of progress from TBI has sparked frustration, particularly among new customers who, as Ahmed noted, “expect more from what is often described as Iraq’s leading government bank.”
The KRG has formally registered its concern with both the Central Bank of Iraq and the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad, seeking to resolve the issue and ensure the implementation of promises made.