Iraqi Prime Minister Rejects 'My Account' Project

Kurdistan 11:06 AM - 2024-10-17

Iraqi PM's meeting with officials from the Diyala Provincial Council.

The federal government has confirmed its rejection of the ‘My Account’ project and considered it a financial project for a particular party in the Kurdistan Region. It has also urged employees to nationalise (Tawtin) their salaries in the federal banks. 

 

PUK President Rejects ‘My Account’ Project 

“I’ve received numerous messages regarding an important issue, specifically the ‘My Account’ project. I assure you, it’s not your account or mine; it’s really ‘Masrour’s’ account. In this, they intend to extract money from you. We are the ones who went to Baghdad and ensured your salaries were secured, separate from other matters. ‘Masrour’s’ account will not benefit you, so don’t register it. Instead, nationalise your salaries,” stated Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), during a campaign rally in Koya.

 

Federal Government Rejects ‘My Account’ Project

An MP from the PUK bloc, Gharib Ahmed, remarked in a special interview with PUKMEDIA: The federal prime minister, during his visit to Diyala province and discussions with local officials and representatives, confirmed that the federal government respects the Federal Court's decision and is committed to nationalising salaries for employees in the Kurdistan Region solely through federal banks. He rejected the ‘My Account’ project, stating that it is linked to a single political party and has no relation to the Tawtin process. The government will not engage in the ‘My Account’ project in any form.

He added: "We, the representatives of the PUK bloc, are working to cooperate with federal banks to open branches in the Kurdistan Region as quickly as possible, following President Bafel Jalal Talabani's decision to reject the ‘My Account’ and the process of nationalising of employees’ salaries in federal banks. The PUK respects the Federal Court's decision and is committed to nationalising the salaries through federal government banks."

PUK's MP further said: "A form is currently being distributed to employees in Sulaymaniyah Province, and they are eagerly filling it out, as it will facilitate the nationalisation of their salaries in federal banks such as Rashid, Rafidain, and the Commercial Bank."

 

PUK President's Decision Receive Significant Support

The historic decision by PUK President to reject the 'My Account' project has been warmly received by all employees in the Kurdistan Region, who emphasised that Nationalisation is the best solution to the salary issue.

Recently, the teachers' union, along with several other unions and organisations, has rejected the ‘My Account’ project. They urged employees to deposit their salaries in one of the Iraqi state banks, stressing that ‘My Account’ primarily serves a single party and offers no guarantees.

On February 21, 2024, the Federal Court of Iraq ruled that all salaries for employees in the Kurdistan Region must be nationalised in one of the Iraqi state banks. However, the authoritarian wing of the Kurdistan Democratic Party swiftly rejected this decision. Instead, they introduced the 'My Account' project, which involved several private banks, directly contradicting the Federal Court's ruling. In response, the PUK officially rejected the project.

According to the agreements between the federal and Kurdistan Regional Governments' Ministries of Finance, all salaries must be nationalised by the end of December. In this context, following President Bafel's decision, members of the PUK faction in the Iraqi parliament have intensified their efforts to open branches of Iraqi state banks (Rafidain and Rashid) in the provinces of the Kurdistan Region. This initiative aims to resolve the delays in sending salaries, which have been stalled for several months due to the 'My Account' project.



PUKMEDIA