KRG Official Slams Critics of MyAccount Project, Citing Hypocrisy and Harm to Citizens
A KRG official accuses political figures of hypocrisy for publicly opposing the MyAccount system while privately using it, saying their misinformation campaign harmed citizens by delaying the service's adoption.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A senior official in the Kurdistan Regional Government has sharply criticized prominent political figures for what he termed a hypocritical campaign against the "MyAccount" electronic payment system, asserting that their spread of "debunked conspiracies" deliberately delayed the service's adoption and caused hardship for citizens, particularly in the Sulaimani region. The comments highlight a charged political debate over the modernization of salary payments, a system intended to prevent the very chaos recently witnessed at a bank in Halabja.
Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, made the accusations in a statement posted to his official account on the social media platform X. He directly named several political figures, alleging they engaged in a duplicitous campaign against the government's digital salary initiative.
"Political figures like Shaswar Abdalwahid Qadir [President of (New Generation) Political Movement], Srwa Abdulwahid [head of News Generation faction in the Iraqi parliament], and Ali Hama Saleh [head of Helwest (Stance) Movement] publicly campaigned against electronic payments through MyAccount," Ahmad wrote. "They promoted conspiracies that were later debunked."
He further stated that "Commentators like Ghalib Mohammed, Ahmed Haji Rashid and Hoshyar Abdullah amplified the misinformation."
The core of Ahmad’s criticism was the charge of hypocrisy. He claimed that despite their public opposition, many of these same figures and their associates privately embraced the system. "Yet many of them — and members of their political blocs — quietly registered and now benefit from the service," his statement continued.
According to the Deputy Chief of Staff, this public campaign had tangible negative consequences for citizens. "Their campaigns delayed adoption in Sulaimani, especially among pensioners, teachers, doctors and police — costing many citizens health, time and peace of mind," he wrote. "The public paid the price for a debate these figures never truly stood by."
Political figures like @ShaswarQadir, @srwa_qadir and Ali Hama Saleh publicly campaigned against electronic payments through MyAccount.
— Aziz Ahmad (@azizkahmad) July 25, 2025
They promoted conspiracies that were later debunked. Commentators like Ghalib Mohammed, Ahmed Haji Rashid and Hoshyar Abdullah amplified the…
The criticism from the Prime Minister’s office comes in the wake of recent scenes of disorder in Halabja province, where crowds and chaos were reported outside a bank. The incident occurred as pensioners and civil servants, after nearly three months of non-payment, rushed to collect their long-delayed May salaries following the release of funds by the federal government in Baghdad. The "MyAccount" system is designed to streamline such payments and eliminate the need for large, chaotic gatherings to receive cash salaries.
Ahmad concluded his statement with a pointed question about accountability for the alleged misinformation and its impact on the public. "Who will hold them to account?” he asked.
