Iraqi lawmaker warns new real estate platform will impose extra fees on citizens

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi lawmaker Mohammed Jasim al-Hafaji has warned that a real estate platform known as "Akarî" set to take effect on July 1, 2026, will impose additional financial costs on citizens. In a statement on his social media account, al-Hafaji said property transactions handled through land registry offices will require citizens to pay up to 400,000 Iraqi dinars to a contracted company via the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, while electronic sales transactions will carry a fixed fee of 150,000 dinars. The lawmaker described the charges as "extra collection from citizens under the name of automation," arguing that the platform has no connection to the land registry, municipalities or any other government department. He called on lawyers and citizens to reject the mechanism and said he would take steps to address the issue. According to official documents, the platform requires electronic correspondence detailing property, location and the source of funds used in a purchase to be processed through authorized companies or real estate offices. Al-Hafaji compared the arrangement to the HEPIQ file operated by the Ministry of Education, suggesting a similar structure of outsourced processing fees. No further details on the planned government response were immediately available.