[44760] Iraq: Ministry of Trade suspends the use of electronic payment in the current marketing season

Economic update from Iraq: Delay in the transition to digital payments

The Iraqi Ministry of Trade issued an official announcement today, April 30, 2026, announcing a change in the planned payment policy. According to reports, the ministry decided on "the non-activation of the electronic payment system using MasterCard cards for the current marketing season".

The decision, published on the واحد العراق channel, states that the implementation of the system will be officially postponed until the "next season." The channel, which is identified with rapid reporting on government decisions, conveyed the announcement verbatim without adding in-depth analysis regarding the reasons for the delay.

At the same time, وكالة بغداد اليوم الاخبارية, a local news agency focusing on ongoing coverage of domestic affairs in Baghdad, confirmed the details and reported that the ministry is "halting work with the electronic payment system" for the current season.

As of now, no official reasons have been provided by the authorities regarding the technical or logistical difficulties that led to the postponement, but the move marks a temporary retreat from the digital efforts of the Ministry of Trade in the agricultural and marketing sectors.