240 electronic payment outlets respond to the Central Bank of Iraq: We have had an official holiday for 15 years
240 electronic payment outlets respond to the Central Bank of Iraq: We have had an official holiday for 15 years
2025-01-18 08:57
Shafaq News/ The Association of Financial Outlets for Electronic Payment in Kirkuk Governorate, which includes 240 electronic outlets, confirmed on Saturday that it is operating under an official license granted to it by the main company (K-Card) since 2010.
This comes after the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Al-Alaq, said that electronic payment outlets are “not authorized” by the bank, after which the electronic payment outlets announced a “complete closure” starting next Monday in protest against those statements.
The head of the association in Kirkuk, Mohammed Abdul Wahab, told Shafaq News Agency, “Al-Alaq’s statements about the lack of official holidays for the outlets, surprised the electronic payment outlets in the province, which number 240 outlets, as they operate according to an official holiday granted to them by the main company (K-Card) since 2010, and since that date they have been paying the salaries of employees, retirees and social care monthly.”
Abdul Wahab continues, “240 outlets operate 24 hours a day and provide alternative financial liquidity to banks in Kirkuk. Last month, there was a shortage of financial liquidity for banks, but the financial outlets for electronic payment disbursed the salaries of employees, retirees, and social care, in a supportive position for the government, banks, and the Central Bank of Iraq.”
He stressed that “electronic payment outlets are one of the factors for the success of the financial transformation in Iraq from manual payment to electronic payment and the use of (K-Card) cards, which have greatly contributed to reducing the pressure on government banks and speeding up the completion of financial transactions.”
Abdul Wahab pointed out that “the outlets impose fees of 3,000 dinars for every million dinars withdrawn by the employee, and 500 dinars go to the government bank.”
The Central Bank of Iraq denied, earlier today, the issuance of any decision, directive or statement regarding the closure of exchange outlets or their conversion into exchange companies, and confirmed that the Central Bank’s statement issued recently stipulates: expanding the spread of cash delivery outlets through all available channels, including ATMs and POC cash payment devices, as well as authorized exchange companies, electronic payment company outlets, and POS electronic payment devices spread throughout Iraq.
shafaq.com
