Thursday Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 8-13-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Al-Zaidi to CENTCOM commander: By October, Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed on Wednesday evening to US Central Command chief Charles Brad Cooper that Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence on October 1st.
Al-Zaydi’s media office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that during his meeting with the CENTCOM commander, he emphasized the commitment to the agreed-upon timelines, which stipulate that September 30th will be a fixed and final date for ending the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces.
He explained that the first of next October will be "a new day in the course of the Iraqi state, as Iraq will be free of any foreign military presence, and will have completed its national sovereignty over its lands, and continued to build its security and military capabilities, enabling it to protect its security and stability on its own."
In this context, the Prime Minister called for adherence to the principles of the constitution and the constants upon which the state is based, preserving its supreme interests, and directing the energies of the people towards construction, reconstruction and development, stressing that Iraq today needs the efforts of all its people to build a strong economy, a stable state, and a better future for future generations.
He stressed that restricting weapons to the state, in accordance with the law, protects everyone, strengthens the state’s authority and sovereignty, ensures security and stability, and represents a fundamental condition for moving Iraq to a new stage of development and prosperity.
Both sides confirmed the full and final agreement to end the military mission of the international coalition, in accordance with what was agreed upon during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington in mid-July.
They stressed that Iraqi-American relations will move towards cooperation and partnership in the economic, developmental and security fields, based on mutual respect for sovereignty and the common interests of the two countries.
Earlier today, during his chairmanship of a meeting of the National Security Council, Al-Zaydi confirmed that the decision to end the mission of the international coalition in Iraq on September 30 is a final and irreversible date, and stressed the implementation of the highest level of security plans, support for internal stability, and guaranteeing national sovereignty. link
Tishwash: Baghdad and Erbil resolve the "ASYCUDA" dispute... Border crossings enter a new customs phase
The Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Reber Ahmed, announced that Erbil and Baghdad have reached a final agreement on the implementation of the ASYCUDA global system and the sharing of customs revenues, while criticizing the federal government's "hesitation" in compensating the victims of the attacks that targeted the region, stressing that the resumption of oil production is linked to providing air defense systems and security guarantees for foreign companies.
In a press statement, Reber Ahmed explained that the implementation of the ASYCUDA customs system came under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister of the region, Masrour Barzani, and after a series of intensive meetings.
He noted that the last point of contention regarding the distribution of border crossing revenues has been resolved, as it was agreed, in accordance with the constitution, to distribute them at a rate of 50% to Erbil and 50% to Baghdad.
In this context, Iraqi parliament member Ghalib Muhammad, from the Al-Mawqif bloc, believes that there are several benefits to implementing the ASYCUDA system at the region's border crossings.
He explained to Al-Mada that "the first expected benefit is reducing the time and costs associated with the entry of goods. Instead of relying on paper transactions and multiple procedures, customs data becomes electronic, and a large part of the transactions can be completed through the system."
He added that "the second benefit relates to transparency and the electronic recording of data, which reduces the scope of human intervention in determining fees and procedures, and allows for clearer tracking of customs transactions, which can limit manipulation and customs evasion, enhance the fight against corruption, and end the state of chaos in the management of Kurdistan's ports."
He stressed that "the most important benefit is the increase in public revenues. When the movement of goods and the fees due on them become clearer, the state can collect revenues better, especially since the region has more than 20 border crossings." link
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Tishwash: With Apple's entry, Iraq joins the global digital economy.
The world is experiencing a phase of rapid transformations towards digitalization, and the entry of major technology companies into emerging markets stands out as one of the most important indicators of economic attractiveness and regulatory stability.
The entry of the global company (Apple) into the Iraqi market comes as an event that goes beyond the traditional commercial dimension, to reflect a new phase of Iraq’s openness to the global digital economy, and a serious attempt to reposition itself within the map of modern technology and services.
The financial advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. Saleh Mahoud, said: “The entry of Apple into the Iraqi market and the official adoption of its services represents an important step in the path of digital transformation, and at the same time reflects an improvement in the regulatory and technical environment that Iraq is working to establish in order to attract global companies.”
Digital companies
Mahoud added that this step did not come as a surprise, but rather is the result of a cumulative effort that began more than two years ago, through continuous cooperation and coordination between the Prime Minister’s Office, the Media and Communications Commission, the Central Bank of Iraq and a number of other government agencies, with the aim of preparing the necessary requirements and procedures for the entry of global digital companies into the Iraqi market in an official and organized manner.
Electronic payments
He pointed out that Apple’s entry “is of importance beyond simply providing new digital services and products to the Iraqi user, as it represents an indication of the growing confidence of global companies in the Iraqi market and its ability to absorb modern digital services within clear legal and regulatory frameworks. It can also contribute to the development of the electronic payments system and the enhancement of digital transactions, in line with the directions of banking and financial reform and the shift towards a more technology-dependent economy.”
From an economic perspective, the presence of a global company the size of Apple in the Iraqi market can send a positive message to other international companies, indicating that Iraq is working to build a more open environment for the digital economy and investment in technology. The presence of global companies is not only linked to market size, but also to the clarity of regulatory frameworks, ease of doing business, efficiency of payment and settlement systems, and security measures.
For the consumer and the data.
Joint efforts
Mahoud stressed that what has been achieved is the result of joint efforts involving multiple government agencies and teams, which makes the current step part of a broader path and not a single goal. The most important thing during the next stage is to build on this experience and complete the rest of the procedures and services.
This will allow more international companies and platforms to officially enter Iraq, and will enhance the integration of the Iraqi economy into the global economic system.
Global digital. Attracting companies
Economic expert Dr. Nabil Al-Abadi pointed out that Apple's entry should not be understood as a mere business deal, but rather as a true test of the environment's readiness.
The Iraqi economy believes that priority should be given to building an integrated ecosystem that precedes any attraction of global companies, based on three basic pillars: automating the customs system to unify fees and reduce smuggling, launching a unified electronic payment gateway linked to the Central Bank to facilitate subscriptions and digital services, as well as developing clear legislation to protect the consumer that guarantees the rights of users, device maintenance, and the availability of official spare parts.
Attractive environment
Al-Abadi pointed out in an interview with Al-Sabah that Iraq should not wait for decisions from international companies to enter, but rather should take the initiative to build an attractive and stable environment that makes the Iraqi market a viable option.
Naturally for these companies.
According to him, global institutions do not enter fragile markets, but rather seek clear and stable regulatory environments. Once this legislative and service infrastructure is complete, the entry of major companies will be a natural consequence of market attractiveness, not a result of external factors.
Direct negotiations.
He pointed out that if this vision is seriously adopted, it could put Iraq on a completely different path, transforming it from a consumer market into a regional digital hub capable of attracting technological investments, which would positively impact the national economy and the level of services provided to citizens. link
Tishwash: Upgrading the Iraqi banking sector: A new phase begins with mergers and reducing the number of banks.
The Independent - The Iraqi banking sector is entering a new phase of restructuring and modernization, after the Cabinet approved a plan to develop the banking sector, in a move that is expected to open the door to broad changes in the map of banks operating in the country during the next phase.
An informed source confirmed to Al-Mustaqilla that the current trend is not limited to developing banking systems and financial services, but also aims to merge a number of banks and reduce the total number of banks operating in Iraq, with the goal of building a sector more capable of complying with international banking and regulatory standards.
According to the source, the Iraqi banking sector has been facing a number of challenges for years, most notably the weakness of some banks, compliance and governance problems, in addition to sanctions and restrictions imposed on a number of Iraqi banks, which has made the issue of reorganizing the sector one of the most sensitive economic issues.
The data circulating indicates that the number of Iraqi banks subject to international banking sanctions or restrictions has reached about 39 out of 81 banks, which reflects the size of the challenges facing the sector reform process, and pushes towards a comprehensive review of the banks’ conditions and their ability to continue.
Merger of state-owned banks
In a notable development, the source revealed that the next phase may also witness the merging of a number of government banks with each other, as part of a move to restructure the government banking sector and reduce the fragmentation and multiplicity of banking institutions.
According to the source, the discussion revolves around the possibility of mergers between government banks in the coming period, with these steps being part of a broader plan to restructure the sector, raise the efficiency of banks, and enhance their financial and administrative capabilities.
If officially approved, mergers are expected to be linked to studies concerning the financial positions of banks, the size of deposits and loans, staff, branches, assets and liabilities, in addition to the ability of the bank resulting from the merger to compete and comply with international standards.
Will the number of banks in Iraq change?
The most prominent question in the next phase will be about the final number of banks that will remain in the Iraqi market.
The new plan may mean a shift from a policy of increasing the number of banks to a policy of focusing on the quality of the bank, its financial strength, and its ability to comply with regulatory standards.
This means that some banks may face the option of merging, while others may have to reorganize, and institutions unable to meet regulatory requirements may face stricter measures.
Observers believe that the success of this step will not be measured solely by the number of banks that will be merged or downsized, but rather by the extent to which the reforms can address the fundamental problems that the sector suffers from, most notably trust, compliance, governance, liquidity, digital transformation, and integration with the global financial system.
pivotal stage
According to informed sources, the Cabinet's approval of the modernization of the banking sector represents the beginning of a process that may be one of the largest restructurings of the Iraqi banking sector in recent years.
The next phase may involve merging banks, reducing their number, restructuring government banks, and tightening work and oversight standards.
However, the final details remain linked to the decisions and procedures that will be issued by the relevant governmental and regulatory bodies, and the extent to which they are implemented on the ground.
If the plan is implemented according to a clear schedule, the Iraqi banking sector may witness in the coming period a transition from a stage of multiple banks to a stage of fewer banks that are stronger, more organized, and more capable of dealing with the international financial system. link