PMF salary cards rejected despite launch of payment cycle

Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, designated outlets declined to process salary withdrawals for Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) personnel due to a lack of clearance despite official payment initiation, according to multiple recipients.
Earlier, the PMF Commission confirmed it had coordinated with the Finance Ministry to begin salary distribution through specified outlets. The process was expected to start July 1 and continue daily until the weekend, including during holidays.
The Commission attributed the disruption to a one-time technical change in the payment system, and announced plans to expand the number of outlets to ease congestion and improve service flow. A dedicated online platform will be launched within hours to address individual cases involving rejected cards.
"The disruption was limited to this month and part of a system update aimed at protecting salaries and shielding financial intermediaries from legal complications," it stated, rejecting rumors of sanctions against payment companies, and confirmed that all salaries are fully authorized and ready for release.