News, Rumors and Opinions Monday 10-26-2026

KTFA:

Clare:  "State administration" has not resolved the dispute... Kurdistan's share of the 2027 budget is the biggest obstacle

10/25/2026

On Sunday, Ikhlas Al-Dulaimi, a member of the parliamentary finance committee, confirmed that no general agreement had been reached on the draft federal budget law for 2027, despite it being presented during the State Administration Coalition meeting yesterday.

Al-Dulaimi told Shafaq News Agency that the draft budget needs some amendments, noting that there is currently no government agreement between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, as well as objections to the region’s share in the budget.

She added that the Kurdistan Region’s share – according to her calculations – will amount to about 6% of the total budget, not 12.67%, indicating that the region’s share amounts to 12.8 trillion dinars out of 217 trillion dinars in the draft budget law.

Al-Dulaimi explained that the current stage requires sitting down at the dialogue table again, discussing the draft law and laying real foundations for reaching an agreement on it, before voting on it in the Cabinet and sending it to the House of Representatives.

She confirmed that there is no specific date for sending the draft budget law to parliament, noting that the matter depends on reaching a political agreement on it and its approval in the cabinet. LINKS

*************

Clare:  Central Bank: The Prime Minister's actions contributed to convincing the US Federal Reserve to ensure the smooth flow of dollar cash.

10/24/2026

Mahmoud Dagher, advisor to the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq and spokesman for the bank, confirmed on Saturday that increasing shipments of cash dollars to Iraq will contribute to market stability and strengthen the value of the Iraqi dinar. He indicated that each shipment amounts to about half a billion dollars, with expectations of new shipments that may reach a value of one billion dollars.

Dagher told Al-Iraqiya News, as reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Iraq finances its imports mainly through bank transfers and credits that are transferred directly to exporters, away from the cash market, while the percentage of cash transactions does not exceed 10%, and is allocated to meet the needs of travelers, scholarship recipients, students, and some other purposes.”

He added that “the Prime Minister’s reference to increasing cash dollar shipments came from experience and knowledge of the nature of the Iraqi market, which is characterized by its high sensitivity to the supply of cash dollars,” indicating that “increasing the quantities of cash dollars in the market pushes towards strengthening the value of the Iraqi currency and bringing it closer to its real value at a level of 152,000 dinars per 100 dollars.”

He explained that "this sensitivity is related to the nature of trade dealings with some countries, as well as the importance of providing cash dollars to reassure market participants and holders of foreign currency," expressing his hope that "the arrival of the new shipments will contribute to achieving stability in the market."

He pointed out that "increasing the supply of cash dollars through the various means adopted by the Central Bank enhances the state of reassurance in the market, as prices are not determined solely on the basis of actual supply, but are mainly affected by future expectations."

He added that "the expectation of companies and individuals to continue the flow of cash dollars in larger quantities leads to a decrease in informal demand for dollars outside of banks licensed by the Central Bank, which is reflected positively on the stability of the exchange rate."

Regarding the size of the cash shipments, Dagher explained that "the value of a single shipment arriving by air to Iraq is close to half a billion dollars, and two shipments have arrived, while previous cash dollar transfers faced difficulties due to the security instability and military operations that the region witnessed."

He pointed out that "the actions of the Prime Minister and the Central Bank of Iraq contributed to convincing the US Federal Reserve of the importance of ensuring the smooth flow of cash dollar shipments to Iraq, which contributes to reassuring the local market."

He confirmed that "there is a shipment close to being expected to arrive in Iraq, in addition to the possibility of other shipments with a total value that may reach one billion dollars, equivalent to the cargo of two planes, to meet market demand," noting that "the continuation of this process is also linked to calming the security and military situation in the region."

Regarding agreements for the supply of cash dollars, Dagher explained that “the Central Bank of Iraq agrees at the beginning of each year with the US Federal Reserve on the size of its annual needs for cash dollars, which may amount, for example, to 10 to 12 billion dollars, to arrive via one or two shipments at intervals, with the provision of the necessary security conditions for their transport.”

He added that "the Central Bank is simultaneously seeking to expand the use of bank cards in financial transactions, as Iraqis have begun to rely on them more for shopping, paying fees and meeting their various needs in dollars. However, the level of awareness regarding the use of cards is still below the required level, which leads some citizens to prefer cash transactions."

Dagher noted in his speech that “increasing cash dollar shipments at the current stage is an appropriate step to enhance market stability, and that the continued flow of these shipments will contribute to reassuring traders and positively influencing their expectations, which constitute a key factor in determining the exchange rate.”   LINK

************

Courtesy of Dinar Guru:  https://www.dinarguru.com/

Militia Man  A REER - Real Effective Exchange Rate - is the adjustment that comes...once channels can absorb more [exchange] volume with less intervention...

Mnt Goat   Aticle:  “AFTER HALF A CENTURY OF ABSENCE, PRESIDENT AL-ZAIDI BRINGS IRAQI SHIPPING  BACK TO THE SEAS AND OPENS A NEW GATEWAY FOR GLOBAL TRADE”  Quote:  "The Iraqi government, headed by Ali al-Zaidi, is preparing to reinstate the national shipping line to regional trade routes after an absence of more than half a century...”  Yes, another move to bring Iraq back to the “glory days.” ...they will need this to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). It’s coming…All VERY Good news!

Reset Intelligence  The dinar is not live on Forex. It does not trade internationally, so a bank that took the notes would have no rate to price them at and nowhere to sell them on. Retail branches buy foreign cash from wholesale banknote firms that deal in currencies with a real two-way market. The main system banks use to settle foreign exchange between themselves handles 18 currencies, and IQD is not one of them. The new official rate of 1,500 set in Baghdad on 7 October 2026 is a price for dollars inside Iraq, not a market the world's banks can trade against. What changes this is one thing: the dinar going live on Forex as a real international exchange rate.

************

Iraq's Finances Are Worse Than We Thought

Edu Matrix: 10-24-2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RituoJYe6Yg

Previous
Previous

Monday Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 10-26-2026

Next
Next

Reset Intelligence: 90 Days Without the Grid.