Baghdad: The Integrity Commission has announced the initiation of a comprehensive audit of retirees’ files, aimed at cross-referencing data with the National Pension Authority. This initiative involves working committees led by the Commission and includes representatives from the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, the Martyrs Foundation, the National Pension Authority, and the Ministry of Interior, following approval from Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the committees will begin by cross-referencing the National Pension Authority’s data, ensuring it is aligned with data from electronic payment companies that manage retirees’ salaries. This process seeks to identify any unlawfully obtained funds and initiate legal proceedings to reclaim them. A report on the National Pension Authority, prepared by the Integrity Commission, has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Pension Authority. The report recommends forming committees to audit retirees’ files, cross-referencing data, and linking an electronic platform for retirees of the Martyrs Foundation with the National Pension Authority.
The report revealed the issuance of approximately 40,000 Key Cards based on outdated data, and the Pension Authority’s database has not been updated despite previous calls for data updates. A committee has been formed to audit the names of retired martyrs and victims of terrorism in Nineveh Governorate, totaling 102,867 names, to protect public funds. Cross-referencing with the Martyrs Foundation’s data indicated pensions were issued to ineligible individuals due to the National Retirement Authority’s oversight in requesting pension data.
The Authority stressed the need to compile and cross-reference names not suspended since 2022 at the National Retirement Authority with suspension decisions from the Martyrs Foundation. This aims to identify unjustly received pensions through a joint committee. The report highlighted the Ministry of Interior’s provision of information on citizens with incomplete database records, revealing deliberate data entry errors within the Pension Authority, implicating some directors in corruption cases, especially in areas affected by terrorism.
The Pension Authority’s coordination with the Ministry of Health and the National Center for Digital Transformation aims to verify 16,384 deceased individuals whose pensions remain unsuspended, leading to financial losses. Approximately 19,321 records were suspended in Anbar province alone. The report criticized the Pension Authority’s database for not cross-referencing all decisions from the Martyrs Foundation, especially from liberated areas.
The report further highlighted deficiencies in the Pension Authority’s databases, which allowed pensions to be disbursed to ineligible individuals. This resulted from the Authority’s failure to request complete data, form cross-referencing committees, or initiate electronic file archiving. The lack of an electronic platform linking the Martyrs Foundation with the Pension Authority raised suspicions of corruption, with multiple records for the same individual receiving separate pensions.