KTFA:

Samson:  A large amount of hard currency was found in the ruins of a destroyed house in Mosul

15th April,2021
On Thursday, a responsible security source said that a large sum of hard foreign currency was found while removing the rubble from a destroyed house in the old city of Mosul.

According to the source in a statement to Shafaq News Agency, information reported that a citizen raised the rubble of his destroyed house in the Old City area by a (excavator mechanism) and a group of workers, as under the rubble of the house a very large sum of money in foreign currency (dollars) was found packed inside barrels Plastic.

The source added that part of the money was looted by the demolition workers and fled to an unknown destination, pointing out that the citizen informed the Bab al-Shat police station and went to the citizen's house and took the money to the police station.

And as the source indicated that a committee was formed by order of the judge of the Nineveh Investigation Court to inventory the amount.

For his part, another source said that these sums are believed to belong to the treasury house of ISIS in Al-Shahwan district in the old Mosul, indicating that the sums go back to the last days of the organization and its killing in the area that was largely destroyed. He continued by saying: The drilling operations are continuing to find these amounts.  LINK

Don961:   New developments regarding the dollar exchange rate

The financial expert and former official at the Central Bank of Iraq, Mahmoud Dagher, stressed, on Wednesday, the low exchange rate of the dollar and its stability at 1470 dinars during the coming days

Dagher stated in a televised interview with NRT channel , today (April 14, 2021), that "the rise in the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar during the past days and its arrival to about 1500 dinars is a temporary case, and the price will decrease in the coming days to the levels set by the Central Bank as a result." Pumping enough dollars into the local markets

He added, "The increase in the exchange rate during the month of last December was a hasty decision and did not undergo adequate studies, but it is impossible to return to the old exchange rate. He explained, "All the political blocs were with an increase in the exchange rate to cover the deficit and the permits issued now do not go beyond the political auctions

The exchange rate of the dollar had risen significantly over the past few days, bringing the price of the hundred dollar bill to about 150,000 Iraqi dinars

They pointed to media reports during the past few days about international recommendations to raise the exchange rate of the dollar to 1600 dinars, which led to an increase in demand for the American dollar in the local markets

It is worth noting that the Central Bank of Iraq had decided last December to raise the price of the dollar to 1450 dinars for the government, provided that the bank would sell it to banks at a price of 1460 dinars, and it would reach the citizen’s hand at a price of 1470 dinars   LINK

ATP Infinity:  (THERE ARE 2 CODED MESSAGES HERE)

1."the low exchange rate of the dollar...during the coming days"

2."the rise in the exchange rate...is a temporary case, and the price will decrease in the coming days to the levels set by the Central Bank as a result." 

BY WHO?  expert and former official at the Central Bank of Iraq, Mahmoud Dagher

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

Samson:  The disappearance of a high-ranking Iraqi official, after an arrest warrant was issued against him

13th April, 2021
A security source in Babil Governorate stated, on Monday, that an arrest warrant had been issued against the current governor of Babylon, Hassan Mandil, on charges of corruption.

The source told Shafak News Agency, "A security force raided the house of the governor of Babylon, Hassan Mandil, searching for him, after the issuance of a warrant for arresting him and his son and son-in-law earlier on the background of his accusation of a corruption case."

The source added that the security forces did not find him or his son, indicating that they had disappeared from the sight of the security services, which are continuing to search for them.

It is noteworthy that Babil Governorate has witnessed continuous demonstrations throughout the past period, in which the demonstrators demanded the dismissal of the governor of Babel, Hassan Mandil, from his post and refer him to the judiciary for his involvement in financial and administrative corruption files.   LINK

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

Samson:  Land Port design completed for Iraq-Kuwait Border

15th April, 2021
Multidisciplinary consultancy Khatib & Alami has completed the design for a new land port in Safwan, Basra, at the border between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait.

Subject to authority approvals, the project will enhance the passage of commercial goods and people by increasing capacity to around 1,000 vehicles per day, with the seamless separation of traffic between commercial goods and travelers.

The final designs and plans for the circa 727,500 m² site include industry-leading technologies for customs transactions and goods clearance. These will improve the experience of travelers, increase the efficiency of customs revenue collection and reduce overcrowding, while maintaining preventive health measures.

Fadi Tannir, K&A's project manager for the new land port, says:

"This is a strategically important project for Basra Governorate which will stimulate economic growth and long-term prosperity in southern Iraq, while energizing tourism activity between Iraq and other Gulf countries.

"Our design will transform the Safwan border crossing, introducing much-needed infrastructure to enable the swift and efficient entry and exit of goods and people, taking advantage of best practice systems and technologies."

The Safwan Land Port is among several high profile infrastructure projects being undertaken by K&A on behalf of Basra Governorate. This includes critical water projects which will significantly improve the resilience of the water system, including access to safe drinking water throughout the region. K&A has maintained an active presence in Iraq for almost 15 years.  LINK

Samson:  Iraq is at the bottom of the list of the best countries in the world

14th April, 2021

Iraq is at the bottom of the list of the best countries in the world for the year 2021, according to the classification of the "BAV" group for statistics and surveys, which it prepared for the best countries in terms of cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, openness to business, and even quality of life.

Canada topped the ranking for the best countries in the world, according to the group’s standard scale, followed by Japan in second place, and Germany in third place. And after Switzerland topped the ranking last year, it slipped to fourth place this year, ahead of Australia, which ranked fifth.

The United States of America came in sixth place, one place ahead of the last ranking published by the group in 2020.

While the UAE ranked 22nd in the world, topping the ranking of Arab countries in terms of the best countries, followed by Qatar in second place in the Arab world and 32 globally.

Egypt came in third place in the Arab world and 33 globally, achieving a better result than last year, as it was ranked 36th in the world.

Saudi Arabia ranked 35th in the world and fourth in the Arab world, followed by Morocco in fifth place in the Arab world and 38 globally.

Jordan ranked sixth in the Arab world, while it ranked 56 globally, ahead of Tunisia, which came in 65th in the world, followed by Oman in eighth place in the Arab world and 70 globally.

Lebanon maintained the 74th position in the world compared to the last classification, while it ranked ninth in the Arab world, ahead of Iraq, tenth in the Arab world, and 78 in the world.

The classification covers 78 countries, a set of 76 characteristics related to the success of the countries were identified.

The characteristics were presented by country in a survey that included more than 17 thousand people from all over the world, as the participants assessed the extent of their association with their country according to the value they see in it within the standard value scale.

The more a country is perceived (based on the individual survey) as representing a specific characteristic, the higher the degree of characteristics of that country and vice versa.

The traits were grouped into 10 sub-categories that were ranked based on the best countries for cultural impact, entrepreneurship, heritage, openness to business, power, and quality of life.

The scores for each country were determined by sub-ranking by calculating the average score received by the country for each feature.

The BAV group includes mathematicians, statisticians, anthropologists, innovators and data analysts who collectively create a model for determining the ranking of countries across the world within one or more specific criteria.

This group ranks the best countries for six years, and this year's report relies on "a number of qualitative characteristics and impressions that drive trade, travel and investment and directly affect national economies."  LINK