KTFA:

Samson:  Kurdish lawmaker: economic reforms will not succeed without political reforms

29th June, 2020

MP for the Kurdistan Islamic Group, Salim Hamza, confirmed on Monday that the economic reforms will not succeed without political reforms.

Hamza said, "The House of Representatives blesses the Prime Minister's reform efforts that contribute to eliminating corruption," stressing that "the reforms are of two types, political and economic and go in one parallel direction, because economic reforms will not succeed if there are no political reforms that support them in decisions and legislation."

He called on the Prime Minister to "pursue the spoilers abroad and recover the looted funds that were transferred outside Iraq," noting that "these are steps that the Iraqi street is awaiting because it restores the prestige of the state."   LINK

Samson:Mulla Talal: The Iraqi Session Process Is Planning And Implementation From A To Z

28th June, 2020

Spokesman for Prime Minister Ahmed Mulla Talal confirmed that the session process is Iraqi planning and implementation.

Mullah Talal said in a tweet to him on “Twitter” that “the session process is a preemptive process aimed at preserving the prestige of the state,” noting that it is an Iraqi process of planning, implementation and supervision from A to Z. At all.”  LINK

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Don961:   The National Business Council calls for a review of the exchange rate based on the impact of the oil price decline

Economie| 01:21 - 29/06/2020  Baghdad - Mawazine News, 

the Iraqi National Business Council responded to the adviser to the Speaker of Parliament, Hammam Al-Shamaa, indicating that the dinar exchange rate against foreign currencies through the currency sale window for obligations imposed by itself due to the circumstances that Iraq is going through, in advance of a three-stage proposal to review the exchange rate pricing on the basis of The impact of low oil prices with setting priorities for the import of raw materials for local industries

The Council said in a message seen by / Mawazine News / that "the dinar exchange rate against foreign currencies through the currency sale window for obligations imposed itself due to the circumstances that Iraq is going through, which were unfortunately interpreted in a different way to distort the facts" and go to say "and we are not surprised by such responses Skepticism and accusations, as we have become accustomed to it as a private sector to marginalize and underestimate our role, and this wrong behavior is what led Iraq to our donors because of the hegemony and bureaucracy of the government sector that failed over more than (17) years of managing the economic file.

"We were hoping for a direct dialogue with the decision makers to discuss our proposals to find solutions to address the gaps that we are in need of in these difficult circumstances," he added.

The Council stated that it is a socio-economic organization that possesses field and theoretical capabilities and experiences and can express opinions and advice to all Iraqi state institutions to correct paths wherever they are found.

The Council pointed to the reference of the candle in its message about the theory of inflation and its repercussions, and the increase in poverty rates to (20%) of the oppressed people who fell below the poverty line, and the few were blessed with wealth.

He believed that this diagnosis is "an affirmation that the wrong policies of successive governments after the year (2003) in managing the economy created the large gap in the standard of living between (the elected few?) And the majority of the people who suffer from poverty and neglect due to corruption and mismanagement."

"You (Al-Shamaa) talked about the necessity of mobilizing resources because of the three challenges (falling oil prices, corona, and early elections), and the rulers of the Iraqi people’s leader (according to the description of Al-Shamaa) cannot bear more tensions for fear that the table will turn against them," and the council considered that this The offering is "strange logic."

"Changing the exchange rate we called for to achieve justice, eradicate corruption, collect taxes and customs duties, and protect the product will turn the table over the rulers," he asked.

He stressed that this "is to mobilize resources instead of exchange differences, tax and customs evasion go to the pockets of the corrupt and transfer without import."

He stated that "improving the social welfare network, increasing inclusiveness and compensating retirees through the resources derived from accidental results from changing the exchange rate from the state's duties to raise injustice and reduce the level of poverty."

He also pointed out that "the social protection network is not a continuous state, as is the ration card, but rather a temporary case due to the lack of diversified sources of income and dependence only on oil imports."

He stressed the importance of "setting the right policies and strategies and implementing them to upgrade the industrial and agricultural realities and other economic sectors while providing climates for the growth of the private sector and involving it in the economic decision with a real fight against corruption and improving the investment environment will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and thus the protection network will be reduced to unimportant levels and this is in place In all countries of the world. "

He also saw that "the change in the exchange rate has nothing to do with the process of printing the currency and we do not need to recall its disadvantages, mixing the papers from the economic scripts, as printing the currency in an ill-considered and without cover will lead to inflation. We did not demand this for security, neither near nor far, but rather that This process on its own terms and conditions. "

He also asked about what is the equation on which the Central Bank relied on proving the exchange rate with the number (1190), knowing that a number of neighboring countries exporting to Iraq have floated their currency against the prices of the dollar

"Why do we cling to the fixation of the exchange rate and not allow it to change slightly to achieve additional imports into the state treasury while increasing the ability of the domestic product to compete and grow," he said.
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"The job of selling the currency is not one of the duties of the central bank," Ann said, explaining that this was recognized by the governor of the central bank, who confirmed the Ministry of Finance's request to exempt it from this commission.

He presented a three-stage proposal to review the exchange rate pricing on the basis of the impact of the oil price drop, while setting priorities for the import of raw materials for local industries - and he said that "

As for the second stage, it requires "studying the exchange rate of the manufactured and exporting countries to Iraq in pricing the dollar against what is included in the development of industry and agriculture locally based on a standard situation for the purpose of fulfilling the market need of imported goods with locally produced goods."

He also stressed the setting of "priorities for the import of raw materials for local industries" and warned of what he called "black money", calling for the collection of customs, taxes and other fees such as product protection and others in addition to the exchange rate during the sale and transfer of currency, these foundations on which our mission and appeal appealed.

As for the third stage, it concerns the tax and customs duties, and the council said, "The central bank still apologizes for doing it, as it is not one of its tasks."

He concluded the question, "Why did the bank not apologize for selling the currency, which is one of the tasks of the Ministry of Finance?"    LINK

Don961:  The government is close to sending the economic reform law to parliament

Monday, June 29, 2020 Baghdad / Omar Abdul Latif

 The government is close to sending the economic reform bill to parliament for discussion and voting, while the parliamentary Economic and Investment Committee confirmed that the law will establish a federal reform council linked to the cabinet.

 The law works to give the private sector an essential role in the development and development and raising the efficiency of economic projects, while providing social protection networks and social insurance funds, and the launch of loans for projects and the development of the banking system.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ali Abdul Amir Allawi confirmed that the government is in the process of forming a complete and integrated program to reform and advance the economy, and Allawi said to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "This program will be presented to the House of Representatives during the next three months and will be comprehensive." Until «the plans in the program will address all sectors of the economy and the productive and service sectors».

He added that «the program includes enhancing the state’s revenues from other sources such as customs and taxes, stopping waste and also the process of removing suffocation from the economy», stressing that «the government will enhance and strengthen the activity of the private sector, because its growth will provide jobs and increase domestic production».

Activating the private sector

Member of the Parliamentary Economy and Investment Committee Nehru Mahmoud Rawandzi said in a statement to Al-Sabah: “The law seeks to transform the Iraqi economy into a market economy and give the private sector a key role in development and development and raise the efficiency of economic projects and increase their production and competitiveness”, noting that “the goal This includes diversifying economic resources, improving efficiency in managing natural resources according to the principles of fair and legitimate competition, and diversifying the sources of financing the federal budget. 

He added that «this law will increase the returns of companies, and facilitate the process of entering into partnerships between the public and private sectors, and the transition from the central administration of the economy to decentralization by granting a greater role to the regions and governorates that are not organized in a region, and also stimulates financial decentralization to ensure financial capacity in order to finance development needs Local economic, to raise the standard of living for members of society and increase employment opportunities ».

He pointed out that «this will ensure the creation of an investment climate to encourage local and foreign investors to manage the ownership of economic units, developing and expanding the activities of financial markets and supporting the broad participation of the public in dealing in stocks, bonds and various securities, and achieving justice in the distribution of the returns of economic activities». 

"Achieving the objectives of this law comes through proposing an economic policy that includes the provision of public services, taxes and employment, while ensuring harmony between financial, monetary, tax, commercial and development policies and labor policies, and implementing the economic reform program and the principles and rules set forth In this law ».

Adoption of governance

The MP pointed out that «this law will promote the adoption of good governance in the management of public companies in accordance with international principles and practices, the separation of ownership and management, enhancing the efficiency of management and competition between public companies, regulating relationships between ownership and management of natural resources and facilitating the privatization of public companies, and working to achieve transparency and equal treatment between Stakeholders from the private sector, encouraging dialogue between the public sector and social partners, while providing social protection networks and their integrity, social insurance funds such as pension funds, unemployment insurance, labor market regulation and instructions regulating the labor market, facilitating the establishment and development of small and medium enterprises, and stimulating the provision of soft loans to them from During the establishment of lending funds or financing through partnership between the public and private sectors ».

A member of the Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Investment stressed that “the law will create a legal environment conducive to partnership between companies and private and public institutions, including concession rights, participation contracts, project management, and the role of the private sector to ensure equality and fair competition in the market, and work to remove legal obstacles that negatively affect the development of The private sector, encouraging investment in the agricultural sector, providing basic and adequate inputs, and reforming legislation and procedures related to land and ways of using it. 

Banking system reform

Rawandzi reported that «the law will work to reform and restructure the banking system and expand commercial banking operations to provide the financing required for investment, and provide effective mechanisms to reduce risks, increase credit and work to convert government banks into joint stock companies, and ensure expansion in the banking sector under the supervision of the central bank, and the introduction Modern mechanisms and banking technology to facilitate access to better financing and services. ”

The deputy pointed out that «the economic reform law regulates and develops financial markets by assessing capital according to international accounting standards, stimulating the introduction of modern and environmentally friendly technology, adopting urban development principles and planning to ensure the availability of public lands and facilities to motivate different sectors, and taking the necessary and progressive measures to regulate the restrictions that Governing fiscal and monetary policies, identifying sustainable development areas in geographical locations that suffer from a lack of economic capabilities and developmental imbalances, and granting these areas economic incentives to attract investors, encouraging local companies and setting up projects, and working to reform the tax system And the financial ».

Rawandzi hinted that, “According to the law, he will establish the Federal Economic Reform Council, which is linked to the Council of Ministers, enjoys moral personality and is represented by the Speaker or whoever he authorizes, and it consists of the Department of Economic and Legislative Reform, the Department of Strategic Planning and Studies and International Relations, the Department of Land Exploitation, and the Department of Legal and Administrative Affairs And the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises Development and the Control and Internal Audit Department, stressing “the creation of an economic reform department in each ministry concerned with that to implement the reform tasks in each sector of the relevant ministry managed by an employee with the title of director with an initial university degree at least and with experience And jurisdiction ».    LINK

Samson:  The Iranian judiciary issues orders to arrest 36 US officials implicated in the assassination of Soleimani

29th June, 2020

Today, Monday, the Tehran Public Prosecutor issued orders to arrest 36 political and military officials from America and other countries involved in the crime of assassinating the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard, the martyr General Qassem Soleimani

During the meeting of senior officials of the judiciary, the Prosecutor General of Tehran, Ali al-Qassi Muhr, referred to the measures taken to follow up the file of the assassination of the martyr General Qassem Soleimani. They directed the assassination, as the Iranian judiciary issued arrest warrants and red warrants through the International Police (Interpol)

He explained that the charges against these people are murder and terrorist act, adding: At the top of this list is US President Donald Trump, and his prosecution will be pursued even after the end of his presidential term   LINK

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Samson:  "Interpol" rejects the Iranian request for the arrest of Trump

29th June, 2020

Interpol" announced its rejection of "the Iranian request related to the arrest of US President Donald Trump," stressing that "this organization does not interfere at all in political and religious conflicts

It is noteworthy that the Prosecutor in Tehran, Ali Qasemher, announced the issuance of an arrest warrant against Trump, and asked the international police "Interpol" to help "arrest Trump and more than 30 others wanted for justice for their involvement in the attack that killed the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Qassem Soleimani, and they will face charges of murder and terrorism," stressing that "Trump will continue to pursue him even after his term ends  LINK

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Samson:  Hook: Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump "propaganda ploy"

29th June, 2020

US special envoy on Iran, Brian Hook, told a news conference in Saudi Arabia on Monday that Tehran's issuance of an arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump and 35 other people in connection with the killing of prominent military commander Qassem Soleimani is just a "propaganda ploy."

"Our assessment is that INTERPOL does not interfere by issuing red flyers based on requests of a political nature," Hook said, standing next to the Saudi state minister for foreign affairs in Riyadh.

"This is political in nature. It has nothing to do with national security, world peace or the promotion of stability ... It is a propaganda ploy that no one takes seriously."

The Iranian Fars News Agency said that Tehran asked the International Police (Interpol) for help in carrying out the arrest warrant.

On January 3, an American strike killed a drone in Iraq, Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. And accuses Washington Soleimani of masterminding attacks by armed factions allied with Iran on American forces in the region.   LINK