ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Aziz Ahmed, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said Thursday that more than 750,000 electricity beneficiaries in the Region have paid back their debts through the e-Psule payment system, benefiting from a 50 percent discount offer.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) introduced a 50 percent discount on electricity legacy debts accumulated before the launch of the Runaki project in late July through the e-Psule payment initiative for residential and agricultural subscribers, while the commercial, industrial, and government offices were eligible for a 25 percent discount.

The deadline for the governmental discount is set for Thursday, September 10, at 12 AM.

Speaking to The New Region, Ahmed said that, to date, more than 750,000 beneficiaries have benefited from the discount, with the number expected to rise to a million by 12 AM later on Thursday.

He noted that residential beneficiaries make up the majority of those who availed of the scheme “because they number more” than the other categories.

Legacy debts in the Kurdistan Region amounted to over 2 trillion dinars, according to the official.

“In no way will the deadline be extended,” Ahmed warned, stressing that the payment must be made through the e-Psule online payment service and not through physical payment at the government offices.

“There is a lot of debt [accumulated] in the electricity sector, the substantial discount was introduced so that debts no longer exist in the electricity ministry,” he said.

He further noted that mechanisms to penalize individuals who haven’t paid their debts back by Thursday midnight will be discussed at governmental meetings next week, and the discount initiative will also be evaluated.

The KRG’s milestone Runaki Project provides round-the-clock electricity to some 5.5 million people across the Kurdistan Region, over 85 percent of the population, according to the electricity ministry in April.

The project was announced by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in October 2024, aiming to eliminate electricity issues that the Region has struggled with for decades.