The Ministry of Finance issued a clarification on Sunday regarding earlier remarks made by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs about the Social Protection Network account. The ministry emphasized that no funds were withdrawn; the account was only frozen.
The ministry said the account, opened in 2015, is used exclusively to distribute social welfare salaries under the Social Protection Law No. 11 of 2014. All funds remain within the legal framework, and some recovered amounts from beneficiaries’ smart cards are still in the account.
The ministry noted that the Federal Board of Financial Control audited the account, documenting all observations and requesting a detailed analysis of its revenues.
In conclusion, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to laws and regulations and said it is fully cooperating with regulatory bodies. It urged caution before making public statements that could cause confusion and offered to provide additional clarifications if needed.
Previously, Minister Ahmed al-Asadi had said that 2.5 trillion dinars were withdrawn from the Social Welfare Fund, reportedly lost between the Ministry of Finance and Rafidain Bank. The Finance Ministry’s clarification now corrects that claim.
