KTFA Members "News and Views" Saturday 1-16-2021
KTFA:
DeepWoodz: Imo...ARTICLE 11 (see article below) this is the second time I’m mentioning this because it looks like to me this guy spilled somebodies BEANS....check it
”indicating that "the commission The Supreme Council for the Census called for allocating 140 billion dinars to conduct the census, and this amount was reduced to 130 billion dinars after discussing this issue with the Minister of Planning,but after the budget was approved by the Cabinet and voted on in the House of Representatives, the amount allocated for expenditures was reduced to 60 billion dinars.”
NOT ONLY did he say the HoR has already voted but gave the amount the census ended up at.
Sounds over to me!
SOUNDS LIKE IT’S UNANIMOUSLY DONE
Post #11: Samson: The planning reveals the steps required to limit the increase in population growth in Iraq
15th January 2021
Today, Friday, the Ministry of Planning revealed the measures that can be followed to reduce the increase in population growth occurring in Iraq, confirming that conducting the electronic census requires the purchase of 150 thousand tablets.
The Director General of the Census Executive Department at the Central Bureau of Statistics at the Ministry of Planning, Samir Khudair Hadi, said, "There are many measures that the National Committee for Population Policy and the Higher Population Council can take," pointing out that "among these measures are reducing the number of births, family planning and health care for adults." Age, among other things, can be taken to reduce these steady increases in population."
Hadi explained that "conducting the electronic population census requires purchasing 150 thousand tablets and distributing them to the number of researchers, supervisors and store managers, in addition to that there are other field works that support the process of deduction, numbering and inventory, training and population counting operations," indicating that "the commission The Supreme Council for the Census called for allocating 140 billion dinars to conduct the census, and this amount was reduced to 130 billion dinars after discussing this issue with the Minister of Planning, but after the budget was approved by the Cabinet and voted on in the House of Representatives, the amount allocated for expenditures was reduced to 60 billion dinars.
He pointed out that "this amount is not sufficient to conduct the census process because tablets alone cost between 40 billion dinars to 45 billion dinars in addition to that there are supervisory centers in the governorates, a main data center, an alternative information center, and it needs a number of servers, computers, other costs and field work within."
Geographical information and electronic tribal experiences are all works, as is the process of assertiveness and the descent of researchers, general directors, assistants, and researchers to the field requires large sums," noting that "the commission will contract with people or assign the Ministry of Education to the issue, and therefore they must be given at least incentive bonuses or their fees."
Hadi added that "the infrastructure must be provided, which are tablets, servers, private computers, main and alternative data centers, communication centers, and supervisory centers in the governorates until a great way is made to implement the census as a field measure," stressing that "it is possible for the census to go to the 2022 budget if the required amounts are not available." To implement the census in the 2021 budget. LINK
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Don961: Reducing Exchange Rates in Iraq: Timing and Implications
Decision-makers, experts and businessmen called for a reduction in the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar several years ago. Reducing the value of the local currency was a governmental requirement in the seasons of declining oil revenues due to the decline in oil prices in global markets, a desire to maximize oil revenues in Iraqi dinars and provide partial funding for the budget to compensate for a procedure Sharp cuts in government expenditures due to the violent economic and social repercussions it may leave on the public, especially the employee class in public institutions.
As for the other team, experts and businessmen, the motives for lowering the exchange rate of the dinar were different, in terms of timing and purpose. The arguments of this trend focused on the need to reduce the value of the Iraqi dinar to support the national product by raising the competitiveness (local and international) of national goods.
Despite the strength of the economic logic of this argument, the success of this policy is related to the implementation of a package of initial policies to encourage private investment, such as providing a stable political and security environment, an attractive and supportive business climate for investment and the private sector, drying out corruption and bureaucratic cycles, and providing the necessary infrastructure (such as electric energy) to ensure the private sector embarked on the advancement and development. .
We have dealt with the risks and the expected repercussions of the decision to reduce the exchange rate of the dinar without securing the preconditions for the success of such a policy in achieving the economic and financial goals that advocates of devaluation seek, in several articles. The last of these articles was published in the middle of October of last year in the Al Furat Center for Development and Strategic Studies under the title (The Current Financial Situation and Call for Reducing Exchange Rates). The article dealt with the features of the current financial situation and the most prominent sources of financing available, while familiarizing themselves with the deficiency of calls to reduce the value of the Iraqi dinar from realizing the naturalness of the economic, financial and social costs resulting from this policy compared to the returns that may be realized now.
In terms of timing, resorting to reducing the value of the Iraqi dinar to finance the financial resources gap is an inappropriate option at the present time, and for several reasons, the most important of which are:
1- Weak government revenues generated by this option, estimated at (650 billion dinars) per month, that is, approximately (8) trillion dinars annually, if the exchange rate of the dinar is reduced to (1450) dinars against the dollar, compared to the economic and social costs of reducing real incomes For employees and raising pessimistic expectations at the level of investment and consumption, thus retreating overall demand rates and deepening the existing economic recession as a result of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic.
2- The high exchange rate of the dollar in a country that depends on import to feed domestic demand for various types of goods and services generates spiral inflationary pressures that erode the cash incomes of the middle classes and seriously crush the poor classes, especially with the absence of effective government control over traders and suppliers of various types of imported goods to the market Iraqi.
3- The central bank’s foreign dollar reserves remain within comfortable ranges (above 50 billion dollars), which makes the domestic borrowing policy possible even with the widening gap between the Ministry of Finance’s sales to the central bank and the latter’s sales of dollars to the private sector, which gives the central bank an opportunity to compensate The decline in Iraq's imports of oil dollars until the end of 2021.
4- Reducing the value of the Iraqi dinar at this stage cannot be considered a necessity to raise the ability of the national product to compete for several reasons, the most important of which is the lack of flexible production capacities and national goods capable of competing in the local and international markets for the purpose of supporting them by reducing the exchange rate of the dinar.
5- Many national commodities, although few, depend on production requirements imported from abroad, and the rise of the private sector needs to import machines and a number of all in foreign currency, which increases production costs and thus reduces the opportunities for the private sector to invest, especially with the bleak prospects for markets. Because of the repercussions of the Corona virus.
6- It is very likely that the procedure to reduce the value of the Iraqi dinar will lead to strong speculation on the dinar by transferring the cash balances (hoarded and saved) from the dinar to the dollar in order to preserve the real value of those assets, which leads to an increase in the demand for the dollar and the transformation of local exchange systems towards dollarization, as happened In Lebanon.
The truth of the matter is, many of the above caveats were realized during the previous weeks and days, after the media option of reducing the dinar exchange rate was proposed by many governmental and parliamentary agencies to overcome the salary crisis and the financial deficit in the 2021 budget. %) From mid-November to December, to reach about 220 million dollars a day, after it was about 150 million dollars a day, despite the decline in merchandise imports during this period.
Most of those dollar sales have replaced the Iraqi dinar in the market, driven by speculation on the decline in the value of the dinar by banks and major merchants, or to preserve the purchasing power of cash balances and to hedge against inflationary tax for the public (hoarders and savers).
As for the price level, the scene did not differ much. The decision to reduce the value of the dinar against the dollar, from (1190) dinars for the dollar to (1460) dinars for the dollar, confused the local markets in a way that exceeds the reduction rate of (22%). As many basic commodities such as medicines and foodstuffs rose to ranges ranging between (30-50%) and perhaps more for some essential commodities, in an accurate depiction of the weakness of government oversight and accountability in controlling and directing the behavior of major traders and price controllers.
On the other hand, many vital sectors in the Iraqi economy, such as the building and construction sector, witnessed a remarkable recession due to the high prices of most of the inputs of this sector of iron, cement and other materials, which means disrupting the activity of a pivotal sector in generating employment opportunities for millions of workers with various skills.
In Iraq, oil revenues are distributed in several directions, the first trend being among the various workers in government institutions in the form of salaries and wages, the higher and private ranks hold the largest percentage. While the other part is distributed to the public in the form of public services (health, education, etc.), support and social protection programs (very limited), as well as the ration card.
The third and intangible trend is the difference between the real exchange rate and the official exchange rate fixed by the central bank. Which in fact represents the distribution of part of the oil revenue to all Iraqis in the form of enhancing the purchasing power of the dinar against the dollar and thus increasing the real incomes of all members of the Iraqi people, especially the poor and vulnerable segments that have been affected by the change of the exchange rate due to the decline in the purchasing power of the dinar with the limited entry of this Categories.
The reduction in the value of the Iraqi dinar came mainly to finance the huge deficit in the 2021 budget and not to achieve economic reform and raise the competitiveness of the national product. Especially with the continuing decline in oil revenues and the government's inability to reduce expenditures or maximize non-oil revenues in the short term.
However, the timing of the implementation of the exchange rate policy is not appropriate for the economic recession caused by the Corona virus. Especially with the inclusion in the 2021 budget of salaries, tax increases and investment expenditures, which exacerbate the impact of the double shock (financial and monetary), which outweighs the ability of the fragile Iraqi economy to adapt and continue.
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Samson: The United Nations appoints a new official for the elections file in Iraq from Iceland
16th January, 2021
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, announced today, Saturday, the appointment of Injeburg Solon Gisladottir from Iceland, the new deputy of his special representative for political affairs and electoral assistance in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Giladottir will succeed Alice Walpole of the United Kingdom, whose mission will take place at the end of February, according to a statement issued by the United Nations today. She worked for the Bureau for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and most recently as head of the organization’s mission to monitor elections in Ukraine. She was the regional director of the United Nations Organization for Women in Europe and Central Asia, her country representative in Turkey and Afghanistan, and she was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland from 2007-2009, and a member of her country's parliament for 7 years. Giladottir holds a BA in History and Literature from the University of Iceland and has also completed postgraduate studies in History at the University of Copenhagen.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, announced that the parliamentary elections will take place on June 6, 2021, pledging to provide international monitoring of the electoral process. Al-Kazemi's announcement of the election date was welcomed by the United Nations and pledged to support and work on its success. However, the positions of the political blocs are still vague and divided about the date and the mechanisms for holding the elections.
On Thursday, the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq informed the three presidencies and political blocs of their inability to hold the early elections scheduled for June, according to what a responsible source said. LINK
Samson: The arrest of a gang specialized in counterfeiting local and foreign currency in Basra
16th January 2021
The intelligence agency operating at the Ministry of Interior reported, on Saturday, that a gang specialized in counterfeiting local and foreign currency had been arrested in Basra.
The agency stated, in a statement that Mawazine News received a copy of, that "through the arrival of accurate intelligence information, the detachments of the Intelligence Agency represented by the Basra Intelligence Directorate in the Ministry of Interior were able to arrest a gang consisting of five accused, including a woman counterfeiting foreign and local currency."
She added, "The arrest took place after the formation of a specialized team and the luring of one of the gang members and his evidence, the rest of its members were arrested in Basra Governorate, and for the alleged crime and in their possession (5) laser printers, color reproduction devices, inks, counterfeit paper and a counterfeit currency of (11,300,000 Iraqi dinars)) And (65 papers of counterfeit US $ 100), in addition to seizing (5) different pistols, narcotic substances estimated at few fines, abuse tools and a paper-cutting machine used for counterfeiting."
And it indicated, "The defendants, along with the seized materials, were handed over to the competent authorities according to a receipt for my assets." LINK