Eco
The Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Public Municipalities on Friday refuted circulating reports regarding alleged corruption in the allocation of loans by the Iraqi Housing Fund. The ministry simultaneously confirmed the availability of approximately 700 billion Iraqi dinars with the Ministry of Finance, designated to increase the number of beneficiaries of these housing loans. Nabil Al-Saffar, the official spokesperson for the ministry, stated that "what is being circulated about corruption allegations in housing loans is incorrect and has no basis in truth." Al-Saffar clarified that "the application process is conducted exclusively online through a link published on the ministry's official pages and websites, which prevents any manipulation." He added that "applications are open to every Iraqi citizen aged between 18 and 65, provided they own a plot of land not less than 100 square meters, or wish to add an extension to an existing building with an area of no less than 65 square meters." Al-Saffar explained that there is high demand for the Housing Fund's loans due to their accessible nature and interest-free terms. He noted that the fund operates on a self-financing system, relying on amounts recovered from previous borrowers to disburse new loans. He also clarified that "the opening of the application link experiences significant traffic, which is why the link automatically closes when the allocated quotas for each governorate are exhausted. This explains the rapid end of the application period, given the insufficient funds available to cover all applicants." Al-Saffar indicated that the number of loans targeted for the current year exceeds 10,000, explaining that initial acceptance of applications is done electronically with only three documents: the unified national ID card, the property title deed (25/Tabu) issued in 2025 or later, and a valid building permit for three years. The official spokesperson affirmed that any citizen wishing to build, whether they obtain a loan from the Housing Fund or not, is obligated to obtain a building permit from municipal institutions. He further explained that the fees associated with the permit go to the municipal institutions as revenue and are not returned to the Housing Fund. Al-Saffar urged "anyone who possesses evidence of manipulation or corruption allegations, or individuals exploiting citizens by falsely claiming the ability to secure loans outside official procedures, to present such evidence." He emphasized that the ministry would take legal action against anyone proven guilty. He stressed that "the electronic application for Iraqi Housing Fund loans is free of charge and without any fees," warning "citizens against falling victim to individuals who promote obtaining sums of money in exchange for guaranteeing a loan." Regarding the fund's financing, Al-Saffar revealed the existence of approximately 700 billion dinars with the Ministry of Finance, stating that the release of this amount would increase the number of loan beneficiaries in the upcoming phase. He pointed out that the fund's current financing relies on collecting monthly installments from previous beneficiaries. He called on borrowers to adhere to their payment schedules, as the fund depends on these recovered amounts for sustainable lending, while other citizens await their opportunity to secure loans.
