“Tidbits From TNT” Friday Morning 8-23-2024

TNT:

Tishwash:  Economist points to a “solution” that will “lower” the dollar exchange rate

Today, Thursday (August 22, 2024), Mustafa Akram Hantoush, an expert in economic and financial affairs, commented on the reasons for the fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate in the Iraqi markets.

Hantoush told Baghdad Today, "The parallel market needs to be dismantled in order for the exchange rate to decrease. Previously, there were solutions to the issue of cigarettes and gold, and the tax was reduced and the merchant was allowed to buy through the platform again, and the exchange rate stabilized at 145 thousand dinars."

He added, "We have small traders who do not have a facilitating mechanism, and we have trades such as gold and cleaning materials that have not been processed, and we have huge trade with Iran and Syria worth millions of dollars, and these can be processed by giving them currency or gold," stressing that "most countries have solved the problem of trade with Iran, despite the American sanctions imposed on them, and solved the problem of travel to those countries."

The dollar exchange rate in the parallel markets rose again, as the markets recorded prices close to 150,000 dinars for every 100 dollars, even though the Central Bank of Iraq sells it at 1,320 dinars for every one dollar.

With the government's efforts to control prices in parallel markets, commercial markets witnessed a decline in the exchange rate in recent weeks, but it rose again, which indicates an economic problem that is still present in the country.

In response, parliamentarians raised a movement to question the governor of the Central Bank within the legislative dome, as the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, on Sunday (August 4, 2024), directed a request to the Presidency of Parliament to question the governor of the Central Bank .

A document signed by the members of the Finance Committee, received by Baghdad Today, stated: “We, the members of the Finance Committee listed below, are the signatories for the purpose of hosting the Governor of the Central Bank due to a major defect in the management of the bank .”

The document added: "Therefore, we demand that the Governor of the Central Bank be questioned in the nearest session, in accordance with the applicable articles of the constitution and internal regulations."  link

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Tishwash:  Parliament's "Forgery" of the Budget... A "Dangerous Precedent" Swinging Between Denial and Confirmation, Putting Mandalawi on the Brink of Overthrow

Independent MP Ahmed Majeed Al-Sharmani commented today, Thursday (August 22, 2024), on the existence of manipulation and changes in the 2024 budget tables approved by the House of Representatives.

Al-Sharmani told Baghdad Today, "The parliamentary investigations are ongoing and ongoing in order to find out the truth about the existence of manipulation and change in the 2024 budget schedules."

He added: "We requested all papers and documents from the Parliamentary Finance Committee to audit the tables and reveal the truth about any tampering with them, and we are still waiting for those papers to reach us from the committee, and after the audit we will take a position in the event of any tampering."

He pointed out that "this move is supported by most of the representatives, and we cannot remain silent about such a serious issue in which there is manipulation if these allegations are true, in addition to the existence of a parliamentary investigative committee specializing in this file."

Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, denied any manipulation of the budget tables, saying that “the budget tables voted on by the House of Representatives are the same ones sent by the Council of Ministers and returned to it.”

Al-Mandlawi posted on his Facebook account, yesterday, Wednesday (August 21, 2024), that “after following up on what is being published and broadcast of inaccurate talks by some media outlets, the budget tables voted on by the House of Representatives are the same ones sent by the Council of Ministers and returned to it, according to our parliamentary decision No. (64),” stressing that no amendments have been made to them, according to the statement . 

He pointed out that "the aforementioned tables are the same ones that were sent to the government after approval," noting that the Council Presidency "has formed a high-level committee to examine the circumstances raised regarding the issue and determine their truth."

Investigations are ongoing

However, the Parliamentary Finance Committee confirmed that the investigation committee is continuing to investigate the circumstances of tampering with the budget tables and the CD, noting that the government has begun working with the tables voted on by the House of Representatives.

Committee member Moeen Al-Kadhimi said in a statement followed by "Baghdad Today", Tuesday (August 20, 2024), that "the investigation committee formed by the parliamentary finance and related to tampering with the budget tables sent by the government to parliament and which were voted on is still ongoing," noting that "the investigation was conducted with the Secretary-General of the Council of Representatives and the Director of the Office of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives ." 

At the beginning of last June, the House of Representatives approved the amended Federal General Budget Tables No. (13) for the year (2024) . During the House of Representatives session, the estimates of the General Budget Tables for the year 2024, its attachments, and the deficit financing tables were approved .

Al-Mandlawi may lose his position

MP Basem Khashan, for his part, confirmed the possibility of terminating the membership of the acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, if the charges of tampering with the budget tables, which were recently revealed by the Prime Minister’s Office, are proven.

In a televised interview followed by "Baghdad Today" (August 19, 2024), Khashan said, "Parliament committed legal violations in amending the budget schedules, and they were on their way to being published and implemented had it not been for the government's scrutiny, noting that many representatives were deceived in this file ."

The Council of Ministers had spoken of an increase of 15 trillion dinars in the last tables, and it was not included in the agreement, discussions and voting, requesting a re-audit.

However, information indicates that there is a difference in the numbers amounting to more than 10 trillion added to the original budget of 211 trillion dinars, which is something that economic experts consider a dangerous precedent, given the failure to submit final accounts  link

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Tishwash:  Did the Iraqi government fail to maintain the truce between the factions and Washington?

The positions and statements of the Iraqi armed factions operating under the umbrella of the " Islamic Resistance in Iraq " continue, confirming that they are no longer in the truce with Washington, and that the option of resuming attacks on American bases has become available again. This comes after statements by the Iraqi government confirming the postponement of the withdrawal of international coalition forces from the country following recent attacks on the Ain al-Assad base, which houses American soldiers and is located in Anbar Governorate in the west of the country. The advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Diaa al-Nasiri, also confirmed the freezing of dialogue with the United States on the file.

The government's retraction of its promises to end the international coalition's mission has provoked the Iraqi armed factions. Although they have not yet issued any unified position on ending the truce, positions have begun to emerge following successive statements by each faction separately, indicating a lack of prior coordination between them, at a time when the government is seeking to control the factions' rhythm and avoid dragging the country into a new escalation.

In a press statement, Haidar al-Lami, a member of the political council of the al-Nujaba group, confirmed that the truce, which was intended to give the government time to negotiate the withdrawal of American forces from the country, has ended, and that options for targeting military bases are now available. He pointed out that the Iraqi armed factions “ended this truce, after procrastination and stalling by America regarding the withdrawal of its forces during the talks with the Iraqi government.”

As for the security official of the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Abu Ali al-Askari, he confirmed that "we have no commitment to stop operations against the American occupation forces in Iraq." He said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, "We have no commitment to stop operations against the American occupation forces... All that matters is that the work is subject to the balances specific to the stage."

Two days ago, Kazem al-Fartousi, spokesman for the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, one of the most prominent Iraqi armed factions, confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the position of the Iraqi resistance factions has been clear and announced from the beginning, that the failure of diplomatic efforts to end the American presence in Iraq will push them to resume their operations to liberate all Iraqi territory. This matter is fixed and announced, and we are awaiting the government’s official position regarding the latest developments in its negotiations, even though we know that there is no American seriousness in withdrawing.

For his part, a deputy in the Coordination Framework Alliance confirmed that the positions of these factions are not yet official, especially since the government is seeking to extend the truce, explaining to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the Al-Nujaba Movement and Hezbollah are among the most hardline resistance factions in their positions against Washington, and that there are less hardline voices within the resistance.” The deputy, who requested anonymity, confirmed that “these factions have taken a position to end the truce unilaterally, and that they have confirmed that they will strike American bases in Iraq if America strikes the factions in response to targeting the Ain al-Assad base,” indicating that “the government, in turn, has provided them with guarantees that Washington will not carry out any strike, in an attempt to calm the situation.”

He pointed out that "the government side is exploiting the period of the Arbaeen pilgrimage and the factions' preoccupation with it, to move towards not violating the truce," indicating that "the situation is not reassuring, and the biggest role is for the government, which is working hard to control the rhythm of the two parties."

Forces in the Coordination Framework are working to remove the circle of confrontation

Forces within the Coordination Framework are also seeking to remove the issue from the circle of military confrontation, calling on parliament to intervene. Al-Fatah Alliance leader Ali Al-Fatlawi said in a press statement on Wednesday that "the political forces are determined to expel American forces from the country and have no intention of backing down from this decision at all." He called on the House of Representatives to intervene "in the upcoming sessions to discuss the expulsion of these forces, because this presence threatens security and stability in Iraq."

On August 5, the Ain al-Asad base was subjected to a missile attack, for which a new group calling itself “the Revolutionaries” claimed responsibility, and which resulted in the injury of a number of American soldiers within the US-led international coalition forces. Two days later, the Iraqi authorities announced the arrest of five people who they said were involved in the attack on the base, while no details about them have been revealed so far.

Since the beginning of last February, the Iraqi resistance factions have entered into a truce with the American side following the assassination of the leader of the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Abu Baqir al-Saadi, stressing that this comes to pave the way for the Iraqi government to take the initiative towards developing solutions to end the presence of the international coalition in the country.  link

Mot: He sure does.

Mot: .. Starts out OK – butttttt