Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Thursday Morning 12-11-25

An Economist Says The Delay In The 2026 Budget Is Restricting Spending And Limiting Funding For Investment Projects.

Time: 10/12/2025 Readings: 75 times   {Economy: Al-Furat News} Economic expert, Salah Nouri, warned that the delay in approving the 2026 budget will restrict spending and limit funding for investment projects..

Nouri told Al-Furat News Agency that: “Law No. 6 of 2019 concerning financial management, in Chapter Three, Article 11, stipulates that the Council of Ministers must submit the draft federal general budget law to the House of Representatives before the middle of October of each year, which the Council of Ministers has exceeded for the current year with regard to the 2026 budget.”

He pointed out that “Article 13 of the law stipulates first that in the event that the approval of the general budget is delayed until December 31 of the year preceding the year in which the budget was prepared,” adding, “the Minister of Finance shall issue a circular authorizing the disbursement of 2/12 of the total actual expenditures for current expenses of the previous year after excluding non-recurring expenses, and this disbursement shall continue on a monthly basis until the budget is approved.”

Nouri added, “The second paragraph of the same article stipulates that spending from the total annual allocation for ongoing investment projects, whose allocations were included during the previous and subsequent years, shall be in accordance with the actual completion rates or actual preparation of each project. This means that the delay in the budget limits the government’s ability to fully finance the projects and restricts the movement of investment spending until the budget and its financial instructions are issued.”  LINK

Dollar Prices Recorded A Slight Increase In Baghdad

Economy | 10/12/2025   Mawazin News - Baghdad:
The price of the US dollar rose slightly this morning, Tuesday, in the Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges in Baghdad, reaching 143,000 Iraqi dinars per 100 US dollars, compared to 142,950 dinars yesterday, Tuesday.

In local currency exchange shops in Baghdad's markets, the selling price was 143,500 dinars per 100 US dollars, while the buying price was 142,500 dinars per 100 US dollars.    https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=271401

Gold Prices Rose Slightly In Global Markets

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 08:51 | Economy Number of views: 318   Baghdad / NINA / Gold prices rose slightly on Wednesday as investors prepared to analyze Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's guidance on the day the central bank is expected to cut interest rates, while silver continued its record-breaking run above $60 an ounce.

Spot gold rose 0.2% to $4,215.61 an ounce by 03:09 GMT, while U.S. gold futures for February delivery also rose 0.2% to $4,244.70 an ounce.

Spot silver climbed 0.6% to $61.06 an ounce, after hitting an all-time high of $61.46 earlier in the session.

This surge extended Tuesday's performance, which saw it surpass the $60 mark, driven by declining inventories and strong industrial demand.

Brian Lan, managing director of GoldSilver Central, said: “What we’re seeing in the spot gold market isn’t a big change; it’s still range-bound, and people are just looking at the Fed’s interest rate decision tonight and whether there will be any further news (regarding the path of monetary policy).”

The two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) concludes with an interest rate decision at 7:00 PM GMT on Wednesday, followed by a press conference with Powell at 7:30 PM GMT. Investors are currently pricing in an 88.6% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut.

Kevin Hassett, the White House economic adviser and a leading candidate to head the Federal Reserve, said on Tuesday that there is “ample scope” for further rate cuts, but noted that rising inflation could alter those expectations.

Silver prices have been supported by declining global inventories, rising demand, expectations of Fed rate easing, and its recent inclusion on the list of vital U.S. metals.    Platinum fell 1.2% to $1,669.70, while palladium declined 0.2% to $1,503.26. [End   https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=1266060

Basra Crude Oil Prices Fell By More Than 2% Despite Global Oil Market Stability.

Economy | 10/12/2025    Mawazin News - Baghdad:  Basra crude oil prices, both heavy and medium, declined despite the stability of global oil prices.   Basra Heavy crude fell by $1.62, or 2.69%, to $58.60, while Basra Medium crude dropped by $1.52, or 2.45%, to $60.45.  Oil prices stabilized after falling by about 1% in the previous session, as concerns about oversupply limited gains and investors awaited progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=271395

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