KRG Interior Ministry warns against interference with 'MyAccount' digital banking initiative

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Regional Government's Interior Ministry issued a strong statement today defending the official "MyAccount" (Hejmarî Min) digital banking project and warning against unauthorized alternative banking initiatives.

According to the ministry's statement, the project, approved on Aug. 2, 2023, by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his cabinet, represents the KRG's official digital transformation of financial services and banking infrastructure.

The program has already registered 153,000 public sector employees as of Sep. 2024, with plans to complete all civil servant registrations by the end of 2025.

The ministry expressed concern about unauthorized alternative banking initiatives, specifically mentioning the "Tawteen" process being implemented in some Sulaimani institutions outside the KRG Finance Ministry's official guidelines.

"No other digitalization program besides 'MyAccount' has been officially approved," the statement emphasized.

Omed Sabah, the Diwan (Office) Chairman at the Council of Ministers of Kurdistan Regional Government, outlined three key enforcement measures:

1. The Finance Ministry, as the sole authority for salary distribution methods, will take legal and administrative action against banks obstructing "MyAccount" staff.

2. The Interior Ministry will discipline police officers and staff who interfere with the project's implementation, in accordance with Internal Security Forces Penalty Law No. 14 of 2008.

3. The Public Prosecution will pursue criminal charges under Articles 231 and 240 of the 1969 Penal Code No. 111 against those impeding project staff from performing their duties.

The statement underscores the KRG's commitment to implementing a unified digital banking system while warning against unauthorized parallel initiatives that could undermine the official program.