TNT:

Tishwash:  Manipulating budget tables is a scandal waiting to break out

The issue of tampering with the budget schedules sparked great controversy in the House of Representatives, after approximately 2 trillion dinars from the budget were lost in a dramatic manner.

The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers sent a letter to the House of Representatives to inquire about the manipulation occurring in the budget tables, as it was stated in the letter, “After examining the printed tables attached to the Parliament letter signed by the ( acting) Speaker of the House of Representatives, it was revealed that there are fundamental differences in them compared to the sent copy.” From the Council of Ministers and contrary to the text of the parliamentary decision.

Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Representative Jamal Kujar, confirmed that the manipulation occurred after voting on the budget tables in Parliament. 

He pointed out in a press statement that it was not known who was the party that tampered with the schedules, calling for an investigation to be opened into the matter.

The House of Representatives held its twenty-seventh session, headed by Mr. Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, Acting Speaker of the House, today, Monday, and in the presence of 199 deputies. The House of Representatives voted last May 18 on the schedules of the federal general budget law.

It seems that suspicions of losing the amount revolve around the Finance Committee as well as the Presidency of the House of Representatives.

For its part, the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives vacated its space regarding the issue of tampering with the budget tables for the current year.

Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ahmed Mazhar, told Al-Ma'louma Agency, “The committee is far removed from the issue raised regarding tampering with the budget tables. It discussed the tables according to the CD sent by the government and then submitted it for a vote to the Presidency of the House of Representatives.” 

He added, "The government's raising of the issue of tampering with 2 trillion dinars in the budget tables, as it claims, is very surprising."

He explained, “If there is tampering with the budget tables, then the Presidency of the House of Representatives can be questioned.”

In order to clear its name, Parliamentary Finance formed an investigative committee on the matter, which aroused the ire of the Presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives.

For his part, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Moeen Al-Kadhimi, expressed his surprise at the Parliament Presidency's objection to forming an investigative committee regarding the changes that occurred in the budget. 

Al-Kadhimi told Al-Maalouma Agency, “Forming an investigative committee is the prerogative of the Finance Committee, expressing his regret over the objection of the Presidency of Parliament to the formation of the committee that does not require approval.”

He added, "The Finance Committee is in the process of inquiring about the reason for the difference in the budget tables between the parliamentary version and the government version, noting that the committee asked the relevant authorities to reveal the manipulation of the numbers."

In addition, the representative of the State Support Bloc, Muhammad Al-Ziyadi, confirmed that signatures had been collected to include a paragraph discussing the government's claim that the versions of the budget tables were different after voting on them.

Al-Ziyadi told the Maalouma Agency, “The government sent a letter to the House of Representatives claiming that the schedules that were sent to it by Parliament after the House of Representatives voted on them differ from those schedules that it sent to Parliament.”

He added, "This book created a confused atmosphere between Parliament and the government, and parliamentary signatures were collected to include a paragraph to discuss the issue in order to determine the truth of the dispute between Parliament and the government regarding the schedules and who was the party behind it.  link

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Tishwash:  Iraq speeds up steps to join WTO

The Ministry of Trade has doubled its efforts to join Iraq to the World Trade Organization (WTO) after participating in a wide round of negotiations that pave the way for full membership. These efforts were met with widespread economic welcome, which sees that this approach will achieve a package of important achievements, foremost of which is enhancing development, building capacities, and opening the door wide to the use of the highest standards of governance, in addition to the most important factor represented by the wide openness of global markets to Iraq, the advancement of the private industrial sector, and the improvement of the local product.

According to the Minister of Trade, Athir Dawood Al-Ghariri, the recent negotiations for Iraq constitute “a qualitative event and a confirmation of what the government promised through its program to reform the economic situation, considering the private sector as an essential part and the backbone of the Iraqi economy,” indicating that “all countries are keen on Iraq’s return as a global economic player.”

In support of the recent negotiations conducted by Iraq, the Ministry of Trade also participated in the technical meetings of the UNCTAD regarding the accession of Arab countries to the World Trade Organization in Istanbul, which witnessed, according to the Director General of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations, Riyadh Fakher Al-Hashemi, who represented the Ministry of Trade in these meetings, discussing the outcomes of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, the process of Arab countries’ accession to the organization, and how Iraq can benefit from these experiences in its process of accession. The importance of trade in services in supporting the economies of Arab countries and enhancing their growth was also reviewed.

In the midst of this, the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Financial Affairs, Dr. Mazhar Mohammed Salih, believes that “in the midst of the changes in the international commercial and financial space, Iraq has moved to important organizational levels in the transition to a market economy to break the effects of its international isolation by engaging in a strong area of ​​economic liberalism that focused on liberalizing the areas of Iraq’s foreign trade in goods and services and the means of financing them, despite the fluctuations in its organization, as well as the development and expansion of areas of progress achieved in some financial services and improving the environment for foreign investment, which allows foreign banks to operate in Iraq and allows the transfer of capital and currency in a manner that serves Iraq’s openness to the world in the conditions of a difficult-to-handle central rentier economy.”

In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Minister Al-Ghariri expressed his “aspiration for the fourth round of negotiations to be held during the first quarter of next year,” stressing that “this acceleration means that the negotiations are proceeding with rapid steps towards Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization, considering that Iraq is an important economic bloc and all countries are keen for it to return as an economic player in a multilateral system.”

In addition to the economic gains that can be achieved by opening up to the global market, the economic researcher and consulting engineer, Imad Al-Muhammadawi, believes during his interview with “Al-Sabah” that “joining has many other advantages besides opening up to global markets, represented in “enhancing development, building capacities, and opening the door wide to using governance standards in all aspects of economic activities, in addition to the most important factor, which is opening global markets to the economies of the least developed countries or what are called Third World countries, not to mention improving the financial side of the participating countries in terms of reducing financial risks and removing obstacles facing the participating countries.”

Al-Muhammadi added that joining also constitutes a factor in reducing poverty, by creating opportunities for the unemployed through increasing economic activities and developing both the private and public sectors. 

The WTO aims to ensure that foreign companies, investors and governments enjoy stability and predictability, confidence that trade barriers should not be arbitrarily raised, investment is encouraged, jobs are created and consumers can fully enjoy the benefits of competition, choice and low prices. link

Tishwash:  MP: Washington is delaying the confirmation of the withdrawal clause from Iraq - Urgent

Member of Parliament, MP Rafiq Al-Salihi, confirmed today, Sunday (July 28, 2024), that Washington is procrastinating in determining the paragraph of withdrawal from Iraq, noting that the exit of US forces is necessary to achieve the integrity of national security.

Al-Salihi said in an interview with Baghdad Today, "An important part of achieving integration in the national security system of Iraq is the absence of American forces from its lands, which we see as playing a negative role in the security scene through repeated attacks."

He added, "Washington is delaying its discussions with Baghdad in determining the withdrawal paragraph through fixed timetables, and this matter reflects America's agenda in Iraq and its attempt to remain despite the popular rejection of all spectrums and the existence of a parliamentary decision in this direction."

Al-Salihi pointed out that "the security situation in Iraq is stable and it has large forces capable of warding off terrorist threats or any other attacks," stressing that "the situation necessitates the withdrawal of American forces from the country and any manipulation or procrastination by the administration in Washington is unacceptable and the Iraqis will not remain silent about that."

The debate over the US withdrawal from Iraq has flared up again in the past few weeks, coinciding with the return of strikes and targeting of bases housing US forces in Iraq and Syria, while the US Central Command had indicated a few days ago that ISIS activity recorded during the first half of this year indicates a doubling of the number of attacks compared to last year.   link

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Tishwash:  Finance and World Bank meet to conclude "fruitful" agreements that support Iraq's development path

An important meeting was held at the Ministry of Finance headquarters today, Monday, between the Minister of Finance, Taif Sami Mohammed, and a delegation from the World Bank, headed by the Regional Director of the Middle East Department, Jean-Christophe Carré, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the field of economic and social development .

The ministry said in a statement received by "Mil", "The meeting's axes focused in particular on supporting transportation, railway and infrastructure projects related to the development road linking Iraq and Turkey towards the European continent, in addition to financing the Social Fund for Development programs." 

She explained that "these projects seek to improve the quality of services for citizens, enhance economic growth, and provide new job opportunities. The expected benefits of these projects include developing the road and transportation network, in addition to supporting small and medium enterprises and reducing poverty and unemployment." 

According to the statement, the two sides expressed their "optimism about the possibility of reaching fruitful cooperation agreements that would contribute to achieving sustainable development in Iraq."  

 From social media

Minister of Finance and World Bank discuss financing transportation and social development projects

Both sides expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching fruitful cooperation agreements that would contribute to achieving sustainable development in Iraq   link

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