MyAccount Emerges as One of KRG Ninth Cabinet's Signature Seven-Year Reforms

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The shift from cash to digital finance is emerging as one of the Kurdistan Regional Government's most consequential governance reforms, with MyAccount Program at the center of a broader effort to modernize public finance, expand access to banking services, and build the institutional foundations of a digital economy.

Launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's Ninth Cabinet, the program seeks to move hundreds of thousands of public-sector employees from cash salary distribution into the formal banking system. 

The program is designed not only to simplify payroll administration but also to increase financial inclusion, strengthen transparency, and encourage wider use of electronic payments across the Kurdistan Region.

For years, salary collection often depended on physical cash distribution, requiring many employees to travel and wait in lengthy queues before receiving their wages.

Under MyAccount, salaries are deposited directly into personal bank accounts, allowing recipients to withdraw funds through automated teller machines, use payment cards, or access mobile banking services.

The reform also broadens access to financial products that were previously unavailable to many citizens.

By establishing formal banking relationships, account holders are better positioned to apply for personal or housing loans, finance vehicle purchases through installment plans, build savings, and participate in online commerce.

The wider availability of electronic payment cards is also expected to encourage digital transactions in shops, restaurants, hospitals, fuel stations, and other businesses, reducing reliance on cash in everyday life.

Officials present MyAccount as an institutional reform as much as a financial one.

By linking salary payments to verified individual bank accounts, the system aims to improve payroll accountability and ensure public funds reach their intended recipients.

The approach is intended to strengthen oversight while supporting broader efforts to modernize government administration.

The program also reflects a wider recognition that digital financial infrastructure has become an essential component of economic development. 

Just as governments invest in roads, electricity networks, and telecommunications to support commerce, expanding secure banking services can improve business efficiency, facilitate investment, and increase confidence in financial transactions.

According to the Kurdistan Regional Government's Department of Media and Information, more than 950,000 salary earners have opened MyAccount bank accounts since the program was introduced.

The government also reports approximately 220,000 users of its electronic payment system, which has processed more than 1.1 million digital transactions, indicating growing adoption of cashless financial services.

Read More: KRG Report Details Ninth Cabinet Projects and Reforms, 2019-2026

The government's latest statistical review places MyAccount within a broader package of administrative reforms undertaken during the Ninth Cabinet.

According to the report, authorities reviewed more than 357,000 civilian employee records, examined nearly 1,500 senior administrative files, eliminated more than 4,100 cases involving unlawful double salaries, and recovered 2.13 trillion Iraqi dinars from historical debts and advances.

The report also notes the establishment of a National Bank with capital of 250 billion Iraqi dinars as part of efforts to strengthen the Region's financial architecture.

Beyond banking, the report portrays digital transformation as a central feature of governance reform.

It states that more than 29 digital government platforms have been introduced during the Ninth Cabinet, including KRDPass, GOV.KRD, e-VISA services, electronic document management systems, border management platforms, financial management systems, and e-Psûle digital payment services.

According to the government, these interconnected platforms are intended to reduce administrative procedures, improve financial transparency, and expand access to public services.

The financial reforms have unfolded alongside wider investments in infrastructure, energy, transportation, and economic diversification.

The government says the Ninth Cabinet has facilitated 778 investment projects valued at approximately $22.7 billion while pursuing road construction, electricity expansion, water infrastructure, and digital modernization as complementary elements of long-term development.

As MyAccount continues to expand, the program illustrates how financial digitization is becoming an increasingly important pillar of public-sector modernization. 

By integrating citizens into the formal banking system and reducing dependence on cash transactions, the program aims to create a more transparent, efficient, and digitally connected economy while supporting the Kurdistan Region's broader strategy for institutional and economic development.