Government Advisor: Expansion of electronic payment has boosted the digital economy
The Prime Minister’s Advisor, Dr. Amer Al-Adhadh, stated that the expansion in the use of electronic payment tools contributed to strengthening the digital economy.
Al-Adhadh, who also holds the position of Executive Director of the Supreme Reform Committee, said during his interview with Al-Sabah: Iraq witnessed a remarkable development in the field of electronic payment during the years 2023 and 2024, according to the campaign launched by the Prime Minister with the aim of activating electronic payment operations, which enhanced the widespread use of these tools on a wide scale.
He explained that the Central Bank of Iraq had a pivotal role in implementing government decisions related to this field, through advance planning and developing the necessary technical infrastructure, indicating that the amounts processed through the “National Switchboard” witnessed significant growth, reflecting the improvement in infrastructure and the expansion in the use of electronic payment channels.
Al-Adhadh pointed out that, according to statistics, financial settlements for movements passing through the national switchboard amounted to about 2 trillion dinars in August of this year, compared to only 800 billion dinars in August 2023, in addition to the fact that government payments also witnessed significant growth, reaching 904 billion dinars in August 2024, compared to nearly 700 million dinars in the same month of the year.
2023.
He added that payment operations at fuel stations witnessed tremendous growth, rising to 43 billion dinars in August 2024, compared to 200 million dinars in the same month of the previous year, noting that the Ministry of Interior witnessed the implementation of more than 5 million payment operations since the launch of the campaign on June 1 of last year, which reflects the great positive impact on improving electronic transactions in government sectors.
Al-Adhadh noted the adoption of the service level agreement by ministries and government institutions towards companies that provide electronic payment services, in order to be of high quality for beneficiaries, in addition to updating the settlement system, which was actually launched in June of this year, which allowed the system to operate around the clock.
He stressed that Iraq has witnessed a significant increase in the number of bank cards issued, with increases of millions, noting that there has been a noticeable growth in the number of point-of-sale devices used in various government and private sectors by doubling their numbers and using them in all governorates, making them easier and safer.
Alsabaah.iq