Iraqi Post Leads Digital Transformation: Achievements and Challenges

Iraq's postal sector is undergoing a gradual shift towards digitalization, supported by government efforts to reorganize delivery services and support e-commerce. This transformation is being driven by a series of projects and reforms carried out by the General Company for Post and Savings.

A key initiative has been the launch of an electronic licensing platform to regulate domestic and international delivery companies. This platform enables the electronic issuance of licenses, offers shipment tracking and verification of legal shipping via QR codes, and provides daily reports and digital payment solutions.

Experts believe Iraq has made a significant achievement and a global leap in postal services through its official postal operator, IQA. The General Company for Post and Savings recorded a 95.87% compliance rate in the June 2025 International Postal Compliance Project, organized by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to evaluate the performance of postal operators in 199 countries. This accomplishment has secured Iraq the 38th rank globally.

In a related effort, the company launched the "Single Window" project, which aims to simplify citizens' access to government services through a unified portal. This initiative reduces reliance on paper transactions, accelerates service completion, and reduces crowding in official departments.

In an interview with "Iraqi Business LANDSCAPE,” the General Director of the General Company for Post and Savings, Engineer Zainab Al-Banna, stated that "these projects represent a paradigm shift in the history of the Iraqi Post, aiming to keep pace with the global digital transformation and regulate the delivery market, which has long suffered from significant disarray."

She added that "the electronic platform allows users to track shipments and verify their legality, while also helping the state regulate tax collection and commercial statistics with greater accuracy and efficiency." Al-Banna noted that the Iraqi Post recently activated the Customs Declaration System (CDS), which helps speed up customs clearance for international mail, a step taken to reduce costs and improve delivery times. She also confirmed that Iraq received a grant from the Universal Postal Union to equip smart mailboxes, enabling citizens to securely receive their packages without needing to visit post offices.

Internationally, Iraq’s ranking on the Universal Postal Union's indices has improved significantly from 75.9% to 96.5%, placing it 32nd out of 199 countries, which is described as remarkable improvement. The institution has also signed several important agreements, including one with Turkish Airlines to expand its package transport network to over 340 global destinations, in addition to cooperating with Asia Pay to provide electronic payment and smart wallet services.

Despite these achievements, the sector still faces observations and criticisms from some experts. Economic analyst Mustafa Al-Faraj told "Iraqi Business LANDSCAPE" that "the postal service still suffers from slow delivery and inconsistent performance compared to postal services in the developed world."

Al-Faraj added that "there is an urgent need for a comprehensive digital transformation and extensive administrative reform, especially with the growing reliance on private delivery companies that are experiencing rapid growth with the boom in e-commerce, where daily orders sometimes reach one million shipments in major cities."

He also noted that these companies face several challenges, including weak electronic payment systems, complex customs procedures, and a lack of technical and administrative expertise.

As official efforts to develop the sector continue, the Iraqi Post stands before a historic opportunity to re-establish itself as an effective economic player. This, however, is contingent on overcoming technical and administrative hurdles and achieving full integration with the private sector to ensure the provision of efficient postal services that meet the demands of the modern era.