“Tidbits From TNT” Thursday Morning 1-9-2025
TNT:
Tishwash: Iraq, Jordan forge stronger ties to boost regional stability and economic growth
Former Jordanian government spokesperson Mohannad Mubaidin affirmed, on Thursday, the ongoing collaboration between Iraq and Jordan to maintain security and stability in the region, particularly in light of last year’s rapid developments.
"King Abdullah II is committed to ensuring that Jordan’s relationship with Iraq is both impactful and geared towards achieving stability and security in the Middle East,” Mubaidin said in an exclusive statement to Shafaq News, adding that "several meetings have been held between the two sides, focusing on key areas, including bolstering security systems and combating terrorism."
High-Level Visits Cement Relations
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani visited Jordan on Dec. 11, 2024, meeting with King Abdullah II to discuss Arab and regional strategies amid ongoing developments in the region, particularly in Syria. This visit underscored Iraq’s strong interest in its ties with Jordan.
On Dec. 15, 2024, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani traveled to Amman, where he met King Abdullah II, Jordanian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Safadi, and Senate President Faisal Al-Fayez. According to a statement from Al-Mashhadani’s office, his meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation across political, economic, and security domains, aiming to support stability and development in both nations.
Economic and Trade Ties Flourish
Jordanian officials have emphasized the strategic importance of their partnership with Iraq. Mubaidin reiterated, "Jordan recognizes the depth and significance of its relationship with Iraq and consistently advocates for joint efforts to ensure Iraq’s security and stability while fostering a comprehensive partnership that benefits both nations."
Economic ties between the two countries also remain robust. On Tuesday, the Jordanian Chamber of Commerce announced that Iraq ranked as Jordan’s largest importer in 2024, with total imports valued at 691 million Jordanian dinars.
The oil trade is another vital pillar of cooperation. According to statistics released by Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) on Dec. 28, 2024, Iraqi oil exports to Jordan rose by 7.45% over the first 11 months of 2024, reaching 3.56 million barrels compared to 3.31 million barrels during the same period in 2023. SOMO further reported that Jordan imported approximately 3.8 million barrels of Iraqi oil last year under a renewed agreement signed in mid-2024.
Expanded Energy Cooperation
In August 2024, Iraq and Jordan agreed to increase monthly oil exports from 10,000 barrels to 15,000 barrels, raising the annual total from 300,000 barrels to 450,000 barrels. This expansion now covers approximately 10% of Jordan’s crude oil needs, reflecting the strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
Through mutual commitments to security, economic development, and energy collaboration, Iraq and Jordan continue to set an example of regional partnership, working together to promote stability and prosperity for their citizens. link
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Tishwash: Head of Parliamentary Finance to World Bank delegation: We support any loans that bring benefit
On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the head of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Atwan Al-Atwani, met with a delegation from the World Bank headed by Jean-Christophe Carré, Regional Director for the Middle East, to discuss supporting the railway rehabilitation project within the Development Road Project, stressing support for borrowing.
We support any loans that are beneficial.
According to a statement by Al-Atwani's office, seen by "Ultra Iraq", "the meeting reviewed the economic and regional vision of the development road project and its strategic importance in stimulating investment movement, maximizing non-oil revenues, and providing job opportunities. It also discussed the possibility of the private sector contributing to its implementation."
The meeting also "discussed the multi-stage support provided by the World Bank for the Development Road Project, including modernizing and rehabilitating the current railway network and linking it from southern Iraq through the north and reaching Turkey."
The statement added: "Al-Atwani reiterated his emphasis that the infrastructure of the development road should be in the hands of the government so that this important project that links Iraq to the countries of the world is not subject to influences." The head of the parliamentary committee pointed out that "our vision is that the development road project should not be a mere transit point, but rather we seek to make it a gateway to activate various economic and commercial activities and develop the infrastructure," calling on the World Bank delegation to present new visions and ideas regarding achieving the optimal investment for this huge project that is hoped to make Iraq an economic corridor linking Asia to Europe."
Al-Atwani stressed the "necessity of expediting the submission of the feasibility study related to the railway development plan within the development road project, and contributing to mobilizing international expertise and attracting the private sector to invest in it in a way that achieves the country's interest."
He added: "We look forward to holding joint workshops and extensive meetings with the World Bank, to provide a full briefing on the project details and discuss its details in a way that secures broad parliamentary support for this borrowing," indicating that "the Finance Committee supports any loans that are economically feasible and bring great benefit to the Iraqi economy, especially since investment in the railway sector is a successful trend and achieves a large financial return."
For his part, according to the statement, "the World Bank delegation appreciated the valuable comments made by Al-Atwani within the framework of the rapid transition from the planning and vision stage to the implementation stage, stressing the World Bank team's readiness to submit the feasibility study, project path and details by next February." link
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Liquidity ‘shortage’ dismissed by economic expert Dagher, calls for focus on non-oil revenues
Economic expert Mahmoud Dagher rejected the notion of a liquidity crisis in Iraq due to sufficient financial revenues and stable oil prices exceeding $70 per barrel. In an interview with Al-Rasheed TV, Dagher emphasized that Iraq’s financial situation remains stable and capable of covering salaries, even in the event of a drop in oil prices below the budgeted threshold.
He further noted that in scenarios of declining oil revenues, the government has the option to reduce or halt investment expenditures to secure operational budget requirements, a strategy previously adopted during former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s tenure.
He concluded by urging a focus on non-oil revenues to diversify Iraq’s financial resources, cautioning against populist approaches to economic policy and calling for pragmatic decision-making to address the country’s structural financial challenges.
Excerpts from Mahmoud Dagher’s interview:
We have three types of salaries in the state: employees, retirees under the Pension Authority and the Social Welfare Network, which is covered by the Ministry of Finance through its dollar revenues, converted into dinars via the Central Bank. In case of a liquidity shortage, borrowing becomes the alternative.
There is no liquidity shortage, but rather poor management and coordination. Revenues are sufficient, and oil prices remain above $70 per barrel. Therefore, salaries cannot be stopped. However, there is a coordination issue between the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, as approval takes 30–40 days to be reinforced, and we need some accounting adjustments to resolve the matter.
If oil prices drop, the investment budget can be reduced or halted to ensure the operational budget is secured. Previous governments adopted this approach several times, particularly in 2015 and subsequent years.
I support an annual budget because it accounts for all variables. The three-year budget did not achieve the financial stability it was supposed to, as it remains merely a set of future plans. Moreover, we have not benefited from the annual budget system in past years due to delays in its approval.
A weak economy with limited options does not allow for ambitious moves. It requires a wise decision-maker. So far, the Iraqi government has been prudent in its economic decisions. However, Mr. Ammar Hakim’s warnings about the Syrian currency scenario are directed at political leaders, cautioning them against the risk of U.S. sanctions.
In politics, we can talk about rising growth rates, but in economics, it’s a different story. On the ground, Iraq still lags in infrastructure development. We must increase non-oil revenues, and if some are displeased, so be it—because we must move away from populism. link
Mot: So how Cold is Cold
Mot: ... So There
