PM:01:29:09/06/2025
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Starting early next month, cash payments will no longer be accepted in Iraqi government offices, according to an announcement made by an adviser to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. All financial transactions in government institutions will shift to electronic payment systems as part of a national digitalization drive.
Advisor Saleh Salman stated that this transition marks a major development in Iraq’s financial system. While electronic payments accounted for less than 10% of transactions between 2018 and 2019, that figure has now risen to 40%. In parallel, the number of point-of-sale machines has expanded to between 60,000 and 70,000, and the number of bank accounts has increased from 22 million to 33 million.
The government is also launching an awareness campaign to help citizens embrace the move toward cashless payments and to break the long-standing culture of reliance on physical cash. The new policy reflects Iraq’s efforts to modernize its financial infrastructure and reduce corruption and inefficiencies in public transactions.