UNDP and KRG launch new online pension system in Kurdistan

“The Public Pension Management system is one of the Kurdistan Regional Government's accomplishments."

The UNDP in Iraq and KRG with USAID support launched a new Public Pension Management Information System in the Kurdistan Region (Photo: UNDP).
The UNDP in Iraq and KRG with USAID support launched a new Public Pension Management Information System in the Kurdistan Region (Photo: UNDP).

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, with support from the USAID on Monday launched a new Public Pension Management Information System (PPMIS) in Kurdistan.

“The system will help to digitize and simplify business processes, reduce processing time for retirement applications, and prepare reports for decision makers,” the UNDP said in a press release.

For the project, the UNDP worked closely together with the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Planning of the KRG to implement the new system.

The PPMIS is a customized web-based application that connects twelve pension directorates with the KRG's General Directorate of Pension with the aim to replace the manual paperwork process and to ease the flow of information.

The UNDP trained a total of 62 pension departmental staff, and has supported the General Directorate of Pension with the establishment of an administrative unit to implement and manage the system.

So far, the 600 new retirement applications were submitted through the new system.        

“The Public Pension Management system is one of the Kurdistan Regional Government's accomplishments, and it is implemented in all governorates across Kurdistan,” Dr. Dara Rashid Mahmud, Minister of Planning, said during the launch.

Moreover, Hazen Ismail Ramazan, Director General of Pension, Ministry of Finance and Economy, said the new system "will support the digitization of pensioners affairs."

He also added it will "link all pension directorates in the Kurdistan Region together, and speed up the processing time for pension applications in the future."

In addition, pensioners can follow the progress of their applications online.

US Consul General Irvin Hicks, during the launch event said that the "US Mission in Iraq is proud of its contribution to bolster the pension management system in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."