Erbil, Iraq, 12 September 2022 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today launch a new Public Pension Management Information System (PPMIS) in Kurdistan. The system will help to digitize and simplify business processes, reduce processing time for retirement applications, and prepare reports for decision makers.

UNDP has worked closely with the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoF) and the Ministry of Planning (MoP) of the KRG to implement the PPMIS, a customized web-based application that connects twelve pension directorates with the General Directorate of Pension, and replaces a manual paperwork process, meaning easier and more seamless coordination and access to information. UNDP has conducted five training sessions, training a total of 62 pension departmental staff, and has supported the General Directorate of Pension with the establishment of an administrative unit to implement and manage the system. This new system, which officially became active on 01 August 2022, has seen close to 600 new retirement applications submitted already.        

According to Dr. Dara Rashid Mahmud, Minister of Planning, Kurdistan Regional Government, “The Public Pension Management system is one of the Kurdistan Regional Government's accomplishments, and it is implemented in all governorates across Kurdistan.”

"The new Public Pension Management Information System will support the digitization of pensioners affairs, link all pension directorates in the Kurdistan Region together, and speed up the processing time for pension applications in the future. Also, pensioners can follow the progress of their applications online,” states Mr. Hazen Ismail Ramazan, Director General of Pension, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Kurdistan Regional Government.

"Ensuring timely and seamless access to pension information is a positive development that promotes the use of transparent and sustainable digital technology in Iraq. The U.S. Mission in Iraq is proud of its contribution to bolster the pension management system in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq," says U.S. Consul General Irvin Hicks, Jr.

UNDP Iraq Resident Representative, Zena Ali-Ahmad, states, “UNDP is grateful for the generous support from USAID alongside integral efforts from the Kurdistan Regional Government for their dedication toward upgrading the pension management information system in Kurdistan, ensuring residents are able to better access public services as they exit the workforce.” 

Media contact:

Miriam Pineau, Communications Analyst, +964 790 110 1982