Iraq launches pilot food ration card automation project in Diyala, Anbar, and Diwaniyah

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Trade Minister Ather Dawood Al-Ghurairy announced on Friday the launch of a project to automate the food ration card system, starting with a pilot phase in Diyala, Anbar, and Diwaniyah governorates. The initiative, he says, aims to improve data accuracy, streamline procedures, and efficiently supply food items.

In a statement, the Ministry of Trade stated:

The project is being implemented as part of the government program to reform the ration card system, with the main objective of creating an accurate beneficiary database, simplifying procedures, reducing bureaucracy, and safeguarding public funds. These efforts are expected to positively impact both the quality and quantity of supplied food items.

Technical teams and the implementing company have already begun the data update process in Maysan, in a ceremony attended by the governor of Maysan, the assistant director general of Supervision, food agents, and several media outlets. The process will continue until the end of next month.

Encouraging results have been recorded during the trial launch phase in Diyala, Anbar, and Diwaniyah. In Anbar, for example, more than 5,000 individuals updated their data within the first few hours of the launch, reflecting how user-friendly the electronic application is.

Data update operations are ongoing in Wasit and Salah Al-Din as well, with more than 86% of the records updated in Wasit and 68% in Salah al-Din so far. The updating process continues to progress at an accelerating pace.