More Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 7-4-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Parliament opens its legislative session with a reading of the cybercrime law.
The Media Department of the House of Representatives published the agenda for the first session of the second legislative term, which will be held on Monday, July 6, 2026, after the end of the legislative holiday.
At the top of the agenda is the controversial Cybercrime Law, which faced mixed reactions when presented to Parliament during previous sessions, leading to the postponement of its reading. link
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Tishwash: Prime Minister's Advisor: Iraq succeeds in securing its first international financing with a sovereign guarantee to support the private sector
The advisor to the Prime Minister, Saleh Mahoud Salman, announced today, Thursday, the completion of the first international financing transaction for an Iraqi private sector project with an Iraqi sovereign guarantee. This was achieved in cooperation with the German institution AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft mbH, and in partnership with the German Commerzbank.
This step is considered a significant accomplishment within the government's efforts to support economic reform and enhance the confidence of international financial institutions in the Iraqi economy.
Mahoud explained in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "this transaction represents the beginning of a new phase in utilizing sovereign guarantees to attract international financing, technology, and investments, which will contribute to enabling the private sector to implement developmental and productive projects with a direct economic impact. It also reflects the success of building partnerships with leading international banking institutions, most notably Commerzbank, one of the most prominent European banks."
He added that "this achievement is the first in a series of development financing projects that are hoped to be implemented during the next phase, which will support the diversification of the national economy, enhance local industry, provide job opportunities, and consolidate partnerships with global financial institutions."
He stressed that “the success of this operation is the result of coordination and cooperation between Iraqi government agencies (the Ministry of Finance and the Trade Bank of Iraq) and international partners,” expressing his appreciation to all Iraqi and international parties that contributed to achieving this accomplishment, which represents a practical step towards expanding financing and investment opportunities in Iraq, and enhancing the presence of international banks and financial institutions in financing Iraqi private sector projects. link
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Tishwash: A presidential decree has been issued referring the Sudanese president and several members of his former government to retirement.
The President of the Republic issued a presidential decree ordering the retirement of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and a number of members of his former government, based on the provisions of the Constitution and the Unified Retirement Law.
According to the information, the decree did not include the ministers who continued to hold their positions within the current government formation, including Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Justice Minister Khalid Shawani.
The Republican Decree No. (24) stated that the decision was based on the provisions of Clause (Seventh) of Article (73) of the Constitution, and Clause (First) of Article (14) of the Unified Retirement Law No. (9) of 2014, and based on what was presented by the Prime Minister.
The decree included the referral of each of the following :
Mohammed Shia'a Sabbar Al-Sudani, Prime Minister.
Hayyan Abdul Ghani Abdul Zahra, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil.
Taif Sami Mohammed, Minister of Finance.
Abdul Amir Kamel Abdullah, Minister of the Interior.
Saleh Mahdi Mutallab, Minister of Health.
Khaled Battal Najm, Minister of Industry and Minerals.
Atheer Dawood Salman, Minister of Trade.
Awn Dhiab Abdullah, Minister of Water Resources.
Ahmed Fakak Ahmed, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.
Ahmed Jassim Saber, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
Haha, Mustafa Al-Askari, Minister of Environment.
Benkin Abdullah Rikani, Minister of Construction, Housing and Public Municipalities.
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Tishwash: A leader in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition: Banking system reforms have tightened the noose on the funds of corrupt individuals.
Mashreq Al-Fariji, a leader in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, confirmed that the reforms adopted by the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in the banking system and combating money laundering have contributed to narrowing the loopholes that were used to smuggle illicit funds.
Al-Fariji said in a post on the (X) platform that the money of the corrupt is now being stored in houses, farms and concrete walls, after the closure of the roads that were previously used to smuggle or launder money.
He added: "Why is the money of the corrupt hidden in houses, farms, and concrete walls? Because it was Mr. Al-Sudani's government that reformed the banking system and combated money laundering and smuggling, thus narrowing the loopholes that the corrupt were accustomed to using... The rest is up to Mr. Al-Zaidi." link
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Tishwash: Government plan to restructure and reduce the number of banks
The Iraqi government is accelerating its steps to restructure the banking sector, as part of a reform plan that extends over the next two years, aimed at building a banking system more integrated with the global financial system, coinciding with the resumption by the United States of dollar shipments to Iraq after a hiatus of several months.
The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Saleh, said in an interview followed by (Al-Mada) that the government is currently implementing a roadmap to reform the banking sector in cooperation with international auditing firms, expecting that the next 24 months will witness a major transformation in the sector’s structure.
He explained that the plan includes reducing the number of banks in exchange for increasing their capital, expanding their relationships with global banks, and increasing the number of correspondent banks, considering that these indicators reflect progress in the path of financial reform.
Saleh added that Iraq is moving towards a transition from "geopolitical" to "geoeconomic" status, a transformation that requires a banking system capable of financing economic activity in accordance with governance and transparency standards, after years of the sector being affected by political conditions that hindered its integration into the international financial system.
He pointed out that the restructuring includes strengthening financial compliance and preventing the misuse of funds for purposes other than economic ones, in line with the requirements for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, noting that Iraq seeks to move from the grey list to the white list by adhering to international standards.
Saleh confirmed that the reform program includes merging a number of local banks, liquidating a limited number of them, involving international banks, and adopting international auditing and accounting systems, which will enhance the credit rating, reduce risks, and raise the efficiency of liquidity management.
He explained that the presence of experts from the US Treasury Department and international institutions comes within the framework of technical cooperation to develop the banking sector, and does not affect national sovereignty, stressing that building a transparent banking system is a prerequisite for improving the investment environment and attracting capital.
In a related development, the New York Times reported, in a report followed by (Al-Mada), that the United States has resumed dollar shipments to Iraq after suspending them for months, which was confirmed by the spokesman for the Prime Minister, Haider al-Abudi, along with the financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih.
The flow of dollars into Iraq is subject to strict monitoring under mechanisms overseen by the US Federal Reserve, as part of measures aimed at ensuring transparency in the movement of funds and preventing their use in money laundering operations or their access to entities subject to sanctions, while the Central Bank of Iraq relies on these transfers to meet market needs and finance import operations. link