Zero Paper Initiative Pushes Iraq’s E-Governance Forward

The Ministry of Finance, represented by its Government Procedures Simplification Team, took part in the annual conference of the Supreme Committee for Simplifying Government Procedures and Services, held at the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad. The delegation was led by the Director General of the Administrative and Financial Department, Mr. Sadiq Huwaidi Abbas, and included members of the specialised team, alongside ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank, heads of agencies, governors, and representatives from various governmental subcommittees.

During the conference’s opening session, the Advisor to the Prime Minister for Administrative Development Affairs and Head of the Procedures Simplification Committee, Aqil Al-Khazaali, announced that the Council of Ministers had approved the Strategic Management Guide for Services 2024, which has now been circulated to all ministries and governorates. He described this development as a major turning point in Iraq’s public services sector.

Al-Khazaali commended the role of ministers, governors, and other partners in achieving progress, emphasising that the conference’s central theme is the philosophy of service as the core function of the state. He stressed that public sector employees must embrace this principle to advance governance and improve service delivery to citizens.

As part of the event, each ministry presented its achievements in streamlining services. The Ministry of Finance’s Procedures Simplification Team showcased its Simplified Services Guide, revealing that out of 38 services under its purview, 36 had been fully completed, achieving an overall completion rate of 94%.

The conference also marked the official launch of the “Service Platform” by Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Eng. Hayan Abdul-Ghani Al-Sawad. Additionally, training sessions titled “Zero Paper” were conducted, highlighting the use of barcode technology and focusing on digital transformation and e-governance to modernise government services.

This initiative aligns with the government’s broader efforts to enhance public service efficiency, as the Supreme Committee for Simplifying Government Procedures and Services unveiled its vision for 2025, which prioritises achieving a comprehensive digital transformation across Iraq’s government sector.