Iraq Economic News and Points to Ponder Saturday Afternoon 2-15-25

Central Bank Records Highest Dollar Sales In A Week

2/15/2025  Mawazine News – Economy  The Central Bank of Iraq announced today, Saturday, its total sales of the US dollar during the past week, which amounted to 1 billion, 468 million, 598 thousand, and 897 dollars, through the auction that was held over 5 days last week.

The daily average of sales amounted to 293 million, 719 thousand, and 775 dollars, down from the previous weekly average of 296 million, 736 thousand, and 787 dollars.

Monday of last week recorded the highest sales of the dollar, reaching 301 million, 529 thousand, and 539 dollars, while Wednesday recorded the lowest sales, amounting to 286 million, 48 thousand, and 422 dollars.

Foreign remittance sales during the past week amounted to 1 billion, 393 million, 348 thousand, and 397 dollars, while cash sales were 75 million and 250 thousand dollars. https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=259575

The Dollar Exchange Rate Decreased In The Iraqi Markets

02/15/2025  Mawazine News - Economy  The US dollar prices witnessed a decrease today, Saturday, in the markets of the capital Baghdad, and in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, with the closing of the stock exchange.

The dollar prices decreased with the closing of the Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya stock exchanges to record 150,150 dinars for every 100 dollars, while the prices were 150,300 dinars for every 100 dollars this morning.

As for the selling prices in exchange shops in the local markets in Baghdad, they decreased, as the selling price reached 151,000 dinars for every 100 dollars, while the purchase price reached 149,000 dinars for every 100 dollars.

As for Erbil, the dollar also recorded a decrease, as the selling price reached 150,100 dinars for every 100 dollars, while the purchase price reached 150,000 dinars for every 100 dollars https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=259582

Prime Minister And US Senator Discuss Cooperation Between Iraq And The United States

Political | 04:22 - 02/15/2025   Mawazine News – Baghdad  Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani discussed today, Saturday, with US Senator Elissa Slotkin cooperation between Iraq and the United States.

The Prime Minister's media office said in a statement received by "Mawazine News": "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received at his residence in Munich, US Senator from the Democratic Party, Senator Elissa Slotkin."

He added that "during the meeting, they discussed relations and ways to enhance cooperation between Iraq and the United States in various fields in light of the joint agreements and understandings, for a long-term strategic relationship that serves the interests of both parties."

For her part, Senator Slotkin affirmed - according to the statement - her country's support for "Iraq, its aspirations, and its positions aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, in a way that secures the interests of the countries of the region and enhances sustainable stability." https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=259580

Two Trillion Dinars Iraqi Loss In Wheat Sales

February 15, 2025  Two trillion dinars lost from wheat sales and parallel banks threaten the economy
Baghdad - Qusay Munther  An economic expert confirmed that the government's loss from selling wheat crops to private mills amounted to two trillion dinars. He pointed out that this loss, which some describe as support for farmers, is not in line with clear economic goals such as reducing imports and increasing local production.

Expert Manar Al-Obaidi said in a statement received by Al-Zaman yesterday that (the government bought wheat from farmers at a price of 850 thousand dinars per ton, then sold it to mills at a price of 450 thousand dinars per ton, which resulted in a loss of 400 thousand dinars per ton), adding that (if 5 million tons were purchased, the total loss for the state would be two trillion dinars),

Al-Obaidi explained that (some consider this loss to be support for farmers, but if the support is real, why have we not seen an increase in the contribution of the agricultural sector to the GDP, and the state is still importing large quantities of wheat and flour from countries such as Turkey, America and Australia?),

Al-Obaidi wondered (why do poverty levels remain high in rural areas that produce wheat, and specific goals for this support are not achieved, such as reducing flour imports, increasing local food production, and providing job opportunities, instead of the money paid to support wheat going to other markets across the border),

Al-Obaidi went on to say that (the parallel banking system in Iraq is one of the most prominent economic challenges that affect the stability of the financial system, as it consists of institutions Financial institutions operate outside the framework of official supervision,

but provide services similar to official banks such as lending, money transfers and receiving deposits), and he pointed out that (these institutions have emerged gradually over the past twenty years, as a result of the absence of effective supervision and the increasing demand from small and medium enterprises that constitute about 84 percent of the informal economy),

and Al-Abidi explained that (this system enhances the shadow economy and increases the difficulty of monitoring the movement of money, which exposes the economy to illegal practices such as tax evasion and money laundering),

calling for (the need to adopt firm solutions to close the gap between the official and informal banking systems, such as regulating the work of informal financial institutions and providing incentives to encourage small enterprises to join the formal sector.

He added that the optimal solution in some cases may be to completely close these unlicensed institutions to ensure the protection of the economy from risks). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce intends to launch a new batch of the food basket before the advent of Ramadan, stressing the continuation of its supervisory teams in monitoring the markets to ensure price stability and protect citizens' purchasing power.

The ministry’s spokesman, Mohammed Hanoun, said in a statement yesterday that “the ministry has set next Thursday as the date for distributing the food basket items, which will contribute greatly to stabilizing food prices in local markets during the month of Ramadan.”

He added that “the food basket has contributed to providing food security for citizens, as Iraq is one of the food-stable countries in the region and the world,” noting that “the food basket has helped poor families and families below the poverty line to obtain the food they need, and has worked to a large extent to stabilize food prices in local markets during the period of preparation for the holy month.”

He stressed that “trade anticipated the arrival of the month of Ramadan with a set of measures, through which it supported the stability of food prices locally, including the process of monitoring and auditing local market prices in coordination with National Security and the Organized Crime Department in the Ministry of Interior.”  LINK

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