KTFA:

Samson:  Al-Kazemi: The government will hold special meetings to evaluate the reform

23rd October, 2020

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi said on Friday that his government will hold special meetings to follow up the memorandums of understanding signed with European countries and to assess the progress of the financial and economic reform plan.

Al-Kazemi's speech came upon his arrival to Baghdad from Britain, which was the last stop of his European tour that also included France and Germany. "We signed memoranda of understanding in the capitals of Paris, Berlin and London to develop economic, security and cultural relations," Al-Kazemi said, according to his media office.

He pointed out that his talks in the three European countries "touched on the white paper on economic and financial reform, and Europe's support for developing the performance of economic institutions in the country."

Al-Kazemi called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up the memoranda of understanding signed with the three European countries. He said that his government will hold special meetings every three months to follow up the signed memorandums of understanding and then evaluate the reform process on the White Paper.

The Kazemi government recently sent a plan to Parliament that includes reforming the country's financial and economic institutions in an effort to diversify sources of revenue. Al-Kazemi's European tour began last Sunday, his first since taking office in May.  LINK

Samson:  In the document ... the Finance Committee clarifies the draft law on financing the fiscal deficit

24th October, 2020

The Parliamentary Finance Committee issued a statement confirming that the government should have sent the budget bill for the year 2000 and included a borrowing plan in it rather than resorting to “quarterly” laws.

The committee added, in an explanation to it, that the continuation of the borrowing policy will lead to the collapse of the economy and flood the country with debt, stressing that the government's responsibility requires control over oil and non-oil expenditures and revenues.

The committee confirmed that the cabinet did not abide by the legal articles included in the internal and external borrowing law that was approved last June, specifically regarding the real numbers of employees and their salaries, pointing out that the borrowing funds in the current draft law are exaggerated and there is a tendency to reduce them and reduce state expenditures in the coming months.

Translation....

Financial Committee clarification regarding (The Fiscal Deficit Financing Law)

The draft law on financing the fiscal deficit (assumption) was received by the House of Representatives and it was included in the agenda of today's session directly by the Presidency of the House of Representatives, and with regard to this law we would like to show the following: 

1- Contrary to Federal Financial Management Law No. (6) of 2019, the government did not send the draft federal budget law for the year 2020, and the borrowing plan had to be included in the draft general budget law in implementation of the provisions of Article (39 / First) of the Financial Management Law The presentation of the budget bill is not replaced by quarterly borrowing laws.

2- The principle of borrowing adopted by (the Fiscal Deficit Financing Law, and before it the Law on borrowing me from the interest of the country and the people, and leads to an economic collapse and flooding the country with debt. The government's responsibility is to properly control and direct spending, as well as control the tributaries of the state’s oil revenues and others and maximize those revenues correlates with the volume of spending

3-The cabinet did not abide by the legal articles that have been included in the borrowing law that would electronically control employee compensation (salaries) to know the actual numbers of employees and the amount of salaries. Sunni Dalia Kordia Oram is very exaggerated and is not commensurate with the expenditures that the month has betrayed the money in the current year. Therefore, the committee is heading to cover the expenses to the logical and actual limit, which represents the ruling and urgent expenditures for the months of the current year through communication and holding meetings with the Ministry of Finance And the central bank.

That the legal timings and according to the Financial Management Law requires that the 2021 budget be submitted no later than 10/15/2020, meaning that the government up to this day's date was days late for submitting the 2021 Budget Law.   LINK

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MilitiaMan:  Thank you Samson.. Always a pleasure to see your hard work and with it bringing affirmations of what has been pointed out to me time and time again. The 2019 FMLA and 2020 Budget data needs to be sorted prior to the 2021 Budget. It is late, as they haven’t exposed the rate yet.

As for the frustration with opening accounts in an earlier post. We learned quite some time ago from WS imo that there were an adequate percentage of citizens with accounts already. Most have cards already too.. My view is that the more the merrier. So with the citizens knowing what they know now, the likelihood of being even more successful is highly likely in the short term. They know something big is coming And will want to be apart of it and quickly.

The logic behind them getting this done now with approval of the G7, Europe, the ME, Africa and now even Eastern Europe is far more supported than in 2021 era. To get the financing to pay salaries will require the ability tap into the secondary markets.. Which again they have the full support of the largest financial entities on the planet..

I will be keeping my view very short sighted!! Imo Thank you Samson and Don961, you both are the wheels on our bus!! - MM . 

MilitiaMan:  Add this into the mix now and going a bit further with the above. It is imo that they are making those that have not disclosed their Financial Assets accountable.

To get their future payments they'll need to disclose. Which will expose those that have been stealing. Thus, the lack thereof disclosures thus far in some ministries. Those that stole know it and are probably filling their shoes about now.

They are now warned legal proceedings may come from the lack thereof. Something to also consider is the last payment if at a program rate was Septembers salaries. The next three months (quarter) are yet to be sorted, yet!!. 

I expect that the below is coming out now because the new rate is about to be exposed. They will not want any over payments to those that are not deserved.

 The new electronic system will not allow for illegal payments. They'll be able to track every new dinar issued. You want your pay? You want your HCL monies? Disclose your assets and those that don't have bank accounts may want to get to the banks now.. It is a win for most and a loss to the few that didn't or won't play by the rules.

The integrity commission is all over this now and rightfully so. It is looking to be game over. Keep in mind there are said to be about a million people flocking to Bagdad for tomorrow's demonstration or celebrations. Depends on circumstances.

It has been a year since the demonstrations started in late 2019. The military and police have bee ordered to disarm for them this time. The last time there was about 400 killed. The new PM will not want a repeat of that at all. He just got home with the worlds blessing and support for MRs & ERs.

I pray for the citizens that they are flocking to Baghdad for celebrations this time,  and I pray they get shown the rate and NSCNs to celebrate over. ~ We shall see.. ~ MM 

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Today, Saturday, the Integrity Commission announced that it will stop paying the salaries of MPs and government officials who refrain from disclosing their financial assets.

"The three presidencies and all the ministers submitted their financial receivables, except for the ministers of finance and communications," said Moataz Al-Abbasi, director of the prevention department in the authority.

He added, "We sent lists of abstaining from members of Parliament and other officials, including ministers, and we asked the concerned authorities to stop disbursing their salary until the commission is provided with the disclosure."

Al-Abbasi stressed that "in the event of continued abstention, the Integrity Commission will take more severe measures, foremost of which is the opening of criminal cases against them."

The Director of the Prevention Department stated that “the Integrity Commission aims, through financial disclosure and disclosure to state officials, to monitor and follow up on graft and thus tighten the screws on the channels of corruption and cordon off its corridors for the purpose of protecting public money from looting and theft.

Any increase of more than (20%) annually in funds The taxpayer or the money of his wife or children are not commensurate with their usual resources, and the taxpayer has not proven a legitimate reason for it, which is considered an illegal gain.

Samson:  Barham Salih: Iraq Is Determined To Be A Fully Sovereign State, And We Need The Support Of The International Community

24th October, 2020

President of the Republic, Barham Salih, congratulated, on Saturday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the organization, while stressing that Iraq is determined to have a state with full sovereignty.

In the text of the message, Salih said, "Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, I extend to you, and to all the employees of the United Nations Organization of the Whole of Our World today, my warmest congratulations on the seventy-fifth anniversary of its founding." He added, “Iraq today, which is one of the founding countries, stands in support of the values ​​and principles that the United Nations carries for the sake of establishing world peace, engaging in dialogues in order to reduce tensions, prevent conflicts, and protect human rights, and it also emphasizes at the same time the pivotal role played by the organization.

In uniting the interests of its member states, and strengthening efforts together towards achieving common goals serving the peoples of the whole world.

He continued, "In these difficult times, as the world is facing Covid 19 with all its health, economic and social implications, perhaps it is an occasion that calls for reminding us of the importance of international solidarity to face the challenges together and the positive role that United Nations organizations play in facing this epidemic."

He pointed out that “the world today faces other challenges, on top of which is terrorism, and Iraq had a bitter experience with it, but through the concerted forces of the people and the security services of all their formations and the support of allies and friends, they dealt a fatal blow to ISIS, but the war against terrorism is still ongoing, and it should be. Continuing the international effort to fight it and eliminate its sources of funding, by combating corruption as the political economy of violence and terrorism. Today, Iraq is moving towards fighting corruption, recovering its stolen money and pursuing the corrupt.

He noted, "We renew our call to the United Nations and the international community to continue supporting the Iraqi people in facing the challenges, as we await the entitlement of elections that require ensuring their integrity and achieving the free will of the citizens away from fraud and manipulation, as the youth of Iraq are looking forward to making a change in the country that is commensurate with their aspirations, over decades."

From suffering, and we are setting off towards a promising future in which citizens will be able to enjoy the wealth of their country through good governance, a firm state and full sovereignty that makes the country a meeting point for the common interests of peoples in the region and the world, not an arena for settling other people's accounts.

He explained, “We renew our congratulations to the United Nations on its seventy-fifth anniversary, and we remember with reverence the departure of the former representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Iraq, Sergio Demelo, who was hit by terrorism, as well as many UN employees who sacrificed their lives side by side with the Iraqis in the face of difficulties. A solid will was stronger than the terror plans in the Nile than to continue working for freedom and peace.   LINK

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Toyvp:  SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HEAD LINE JUST MAKES ME WANT TO SAY................."YA THINK!!!!!!!!!!"

Samson:  The salary crisis explodes in Iraq and the situation is now dangerous

23rd October, 2020

Qusai, the government employee, was terrified when his monthly salary was late. Waiting days became weeks and he was late in paying his house rent, as well as his monthly bills. The man, who works as a graphic designer for the Ministry of Health, spends nearly half of his salary on his monthly rent of about 450,000 Iraqi dinars, or the equivalent of about $ 400, and is worried that he will find himself and his family homeless if he is two months late in payment. Qusay says the delay in salaries is severely affecting his ability to carry a burden of living.

The government of Iraq is struggling to cover salaries of inflated public sector employees amid an unprecedented liquidity crisis caused by low oil prices. September salaries are weeks late, October salaries have yet to be paid, and the government is trying to borrow again from state reserves. The crisis has fueled fears of instability ahead of upcoming mass demonstrations this week.

The government had reviewed a plan, or rather a "vision," to bring about comprehensive structural changes in the Iraqi economy, in a "white paper" presented to the Iraqi parliament members and political factions last week. But with the early elections approaching, advisors to the prime minister fear that there is no strong political will to implement that vision." We call on the same people who we protest against and criticize, to reform the system," said Sajid Jiyad, an ethnic researcher.

Calls for the White Paper to cut public sector salaries and reform the state’s financial sector would destroy the system of quotas and patronage that political elites rely on to consolidate their powers. Much of this muhasasa system is the distribution of state jobs in exchange for subsidies, and as a result, the number of public sector workers has tripled since 2004.

The government is now paying salaries that are 400 percent more than it did 15 years ago. 75 percent of the state's expenditures in the fiscal year 2020 are earmarked for public sector expenditures, a massive drain on dwindling financial resources.

Member of the Finance Committee in the Iraqi Parliament, Representative Muhammad al-Darraji, says, "The situation is now dangerous."

A political official in the government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the political factions deny the need for change, and believe that oil prices will rise again and that "things will be fine ... We will not be well, the system cannot be supported and will collapse sooner or later."

Iraqi activists called for a march on October 25, which is expected to attract large crowds, after a year of massive anti-government protests that saw tens of thousands take to the streets to demand reforms and the overthrow of the corrupt political class.    LINK

MilitiaMan:  The part about that September salaries are weeks late, is very curious. I am suspicious if they were paid or not. This article suggests they not have been. If not, then the title is apropos be sure. Tomorrow may bring some seriousness to it.   If they haven't and don't give a good reason and  or a cure for it, they'll find out real quick things can go south in a hurry. PM K having the support of the G7, et al,  imo shows me they may get a nice surprise very soon. imo ~ MM