Kurdistan's Digital Leap: Banking Initiative Nears One Million Users in Financial Overhaul
KRG's My Account nears 1M users, digitizing salaries & banking for employees, retirees & security forces. Project boosts financial inclusion, infrastructure, & economic reform across the Region.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As subscriber numbers approach one million, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s My Account initiative reshapes salary distribution, banking access, and financial reform across the Region.
In a strategic move aimed at reshaping the economic landscape and securing a more sustainable future for the Kurdistan Region’s citizens, the Kurdistan Regional Government is nearing a historic milestone in its national digital transformation project, My Account.
The initiative is now just steps away from reaching nearly one million subscribers among employees and salary recipients, marking a significant shift in how financial systems operate across the Region.
Through the My Account project, the Kurdistan Regional Government seeks to strengthen the concept of financial inclusion and localize salary payments through the banking system. The initiative ensures that employees can easily access modern banking services, while granting them greater financial independence and flexibility in managing their savings, away from traditional cash-based systems.
The latest data released by the administration of the My Account project shows a sharp increase in registration and implementation rates. According to these figures, the total number of registered users has surpassed 900,000 individuals.
To date, more than 660,000 bank cards have been distributed under the project. At the same time, the number of employees and beneficiaries receiving their salaries digitally has reached 630,000.
These digital salary recipients are distributed across several categories. The figures include 330,000 civilian employees, 197,000 members of the Peshmerga forces and security institutions, 88,000 retirees, and 11,000 beneficiaries from the families of martyrs.
Geographic spread and infrastructure
The project has not been limited to the capital alone, but has expanded to cover all governorates of the Kurdistan Region. Statistics indicate that Erbil accounts for 319,500 subscribers, followed by Duhok with 164,300 subscribers, and Sulaimani with 144,000 subscribers.
To support this digital transition, the Kurdistan Regional Government has strengthened banking infrastructure by deploying 503 automated teller machines across more than 200 strategic locations throughout the Region. This expansion aims to ensure broad and convenient access to banking services for beneficiaries.
The My Account project was launched in 2023 through a direct initiative by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, forming a core pillar of the ninth cabinet’s government program. The project aims to modernize the banking sector, enhance financial transparency, and build a robust banking system capable of driving comprehensive economic development across the Region, with a future target of exceeding one million beneficiaries.
My Account is a comprehensive financial system introduced by the Kurdistan Regional Government to digitize salaries for government employees, security forces, and retirees. The project enables beneficiaries to access bank loans, use electronic payment cards for purchases, and benefit from global banking services.
Financial inclusion, in this context, means that every individual holds an official bank account. This step in the Kurdistan Region seeks to reduce reliance on the cash economy, thereby lowering the risks of financial corruption and increasing the speed and circulation of money within the local market.
The My Account project is considered one of the most prominent reform files adopted by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The objective extends beyond salary distribution to establishing a financial infrastructure that allows both public and private banks to provide credit facilities, housing loans, and commercial loans to citizens, areas that previously faced significant challenges.
Although the project encountered early obstacles related to public trust in the banking system and the availability of ATMs, current figures — showing the deployment of more than 500 ATM machines — reflect the government’s success in rapidly building a logistical and banking network capable of supporting this transformation.
As subscriber numbers approach the one-million mark, the My Account project continues to consolidate its position as a cornerstone of financial and digital transformation in the Kurdistan Region, reshaping the relationship between citizens and the banking system on more modern and sustainable foundations.