"Tidbits From TNT" Christmas Morning 12-25-2021
TNT:
Tishwash: saay whaaaaat?
Direct delivery of "MasterCard" cards to retired Iraqis residing in Amman
Al-Rafidain Bank announced on Saturday that it has started handing over MasterCard cards to retirees residing in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The bank's media office said in a statement today that a delegation headed by the general manager of the bank, Abdul Hassan Jamal, visited Jordan with a delegation from the Central Bank of Iraq and supervised the process of issuing MasterCard cards for retirees residing in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The statement indicated that the delegation met a number of retirees and listened to their problems and expressed its readiness to provide all support and assistance to retirees in Jordan to solve their problems, especially with regard to the delay in their salaries.
After that, the delegation visited the Iraqi embassy in Jordan and held a meeting with the Iraqi ambassador to discuss the obstacles and problems that hinder the payment of retirees' salaries and strive to provide everything possible to alleviate the suffering of retirees. link
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Tishwash: Since the exchange rate change...the annual inflation in Iraq has risen by 1000 percent
The American "Global finance" magazine revealed that the annual inflation in Iraq rose to nearly 1000% in one year.
And the magazine stated in its table of 191 countries that were included about the inflation rates in these countries, seen by Shafak News Agency, that "the annual inflation of Iraq for the month of October 2021 rose to 6.4% compared to the same month of last year 2020, which amounted to 0.6%, with an increase rate of 966.67%".
She added that "inflation also rose from the same month of 2019, in which the annual inflation was 0.2%," noting that "Iraq ranked fifth in the Arab world in terms of high inflation after Sudan, where annual inflation reached 194.6%, and Yemen 40.8 %, Libya 21.1%, Algeria 6.5%", while the lowest Arab countries in terms of annual inflation were Bahrain, at 1%."
Globally, Venezuela came first with the most annual inflation with a rate of 2,700%, followed by Sudan with 194.6%, then Zimbabwe with a rate of 92.5%, while the most declining country in its annual inflation was Samoa with a decrease of -3%, preceded by Comoros with a decrease of -1%.
The magazine's report noted that "Afghanistan, Argentina, Lebanon, Somalia and Syria" are not included in the table because there are no statistics for these countries.
Continuing inflation may end up in stagflation where economic growth slows, unemployment remains high, inflation remains at high levels, and what is (much) worse, although very uncommon, is the specter of a hyperinflation scenario, in which prices grow unsustainably Control it which leads to a depreciation of the currency.
The American magazine concluded its report by saying that "reducing inflation does not mean that prices will return to what they were before, as it will stop growing at an accelerated pace."
It is noteworthy that the annual inflation in Iraq rose significantly after raising the exchange rate of the dollar in the budget for the current year 2021, to equal every 100 dollars 145 thousand dinars, after it was 121 thousand. link
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Tishwash: Al-Kazemi’s advisor: $79 billion in Iraq’s internal and external debt
Today, Friday, the economic advisor to the Prime Minister, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, determined the size of Iraq's remaining internal and external debts and the mechanism for paying them.
Saleh said in a statement to the official agency, which was followed by (Al-Oula News), that "with regard to foreign debt, there is a suspended amount that has not been settled under the Paris Club Agreement to settle Iraq's external debt, and it goes back to the so-called debts before 1990, estimated at 41 billion dollars, which requires that the debt is correct. To be discounted by 80% or more according to the terms of the Paris Club agreement, with no more than $8-9 billion.”
He added that "the aforementioned amount appears in the accounting books of four Gulf countries, at a rate of approximately 66%, distributed between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the Emirates, and it dates back to the era of the Iran-Iraq war and is expected to be written off by 100% because it is a debt associated with wars and not for development purposes."
He pointed out that "the remaining 34% belongs to eight different countries, and in general, it can be said that the sovereign debt on Iraq is divided between the group of Paris Club countries and countries outside the Paris Club, and commercial debts," explaining that "Iraq's foreign debts, especially debts before the year 1990 was settled under the Paris Club Agreement 2004, where it was agreed to write off 80% and more of those debts whose initial estimates at the time approached 129 billion dollars, and most of them were written off and the rest of the debt was scheduled for 20 years.
And he indicated that "despite the fact that Iraq made some external borrowings due to financial distress after the year 2014 as a result of the war on ISIS terrorism and the drop in oil prices and its direct impact on the country's public budgets, the total external public debt subject to repayment obligations does not exceed today 20 billion dollars."
He added: "As for the internal public debt, it is the largest today and amounts to about 50 billion dollars, but it is a debt between government financial institutions exclusively, and it is settled within the internal economic policies, and it is a low-risk debt," noting that "the increase in oil revenues will provide high financial leverage to settle the debts." The remnants of indebtedness and soft choices.”
Saleh explained: “In light of the foregoing, the public debt components can be re-analyzed as follows: As the internal public debt touched nearly $50 billion, 67% of it goes back to the Central Bank of Iraq with an average annual interest of 3%, while the debt the external, the remaining amount to be paid is about 20 billion dollars.”
He stressed that “recalculating the actual external public debt is $29 billion, and the actual total internal and external debt is $79 billion, and assuming that the gross domestic product for the year 2021 is $178 billion, the ratio of the actual debt to the mentioned output is about 45%, and it is still It is within the safe range of EU standards for stability and growth. link
Candy Kisses: God bless all of our military and please keep them safe.
Mot: A Soldier's Christmas Story . . . ((( posted by cj101 Dec 11 2014 )))
A Christmas Story
-Author Unknown
‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone, in a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone. I had come down the chimney with presents to give, and to see just who in this home did live. I looked all about, a strange sight I did see, no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree. No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand, on the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
With medals and badges, awards of all kinds, a sober thought came through my mind. For this house was different, it was dark and dreary, I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly. The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone, curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home. The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder, not how I pictured a United States soldier. Was this the hero of whom I'd just read? Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families that I saw this night, owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight. Soon round the world, the children would play, and grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day. They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year, because of the soldiers, like the one lying here. I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone, on a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home. The very thought brought a tear to my eye, I dropped to my knees and started to cry. The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice, "Santa don't cry, this life is my choice"; I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more, my life is my God, my country, my corps."
The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep, I couldn't control it, I continued to weep. I kept watch for hours, so silent and still and we both shivered from the cold night's chill. I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark, night, this guardian of honor so willing to fight. Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure, whispered, "carry on Santa, it's Christmas day, all is secure." One look at my watch, and I knew he was right. "Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night."
Mot: -- Poor Santa! ~~ Welllll - He Does Keep Trying! ~~~