Al-Sudani issues banking directives, including suspending capital increases for banks subject to US sanctions, 28 SEPT

   Al-Sudani issues banking directives, including suspending capital increases for banks subject to US sanctions

9/26/2024

A Government source revealed, on Thursday, that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani issued directives related to financial and banking reforms, including not increasing the capital of banks subject to US sanctions.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, before leaving for New York, held a number of meetings with banks and the Central Bank of Iraq, where those meetings discussed in detail the Central Bank of Iraq's plan to rehabilitate private banks by contracting with an international consulting company."

He explained that "the Prime Minister directed a number of points, on the importance of the plan for developing private banks by Oliver Wyman Company being clear in terms of timing, distribution of responsibilities, and issuing progress reports in this regard."

The directives included "accelerating the implementation of the recommendations issued by the Ministerial Council for the Economy to support Iraqi banks, including delaying the increase in capital for banks banned from dealing in dollars by the US Treasury."

The source indicated that Al-Sudani also directed "the preparation of a study to activate the local cards project internally, as well as urging Iraqi ministries and institutions to increase dealings with licensed Iraqi banks in various banking services and open accounts with them."

Last Monday evening, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and a number of officials from the Treasury Department, according to a statement received by Shafaq News Agency.

The meeting witnessed discussion of bilateral economic relations between the two countries in various vital sectors, review of the government's efforts and plans for economic and financial reform, the move towards diversifying sources of Iraqi output, enhancing development targets, and practical measures implemented in the field of combating money laundering.

Al-Sudani stressed that the government has made great strides in the financial and banking reform file, and 95% of bank transfers have been completed through the electronic platform, and less than 5% remains to be completed by the end of this year, after which the transition to the correspondent banking system will take place, in accordance with the government’s approach and its commitment to raising the capabilities of Iraqi banks, in line with international standards and meeting the needs of the thriving investment environment in Iraq.

For his part, Adeyemo praised the progress witnessed by Iraq in the field of economic and banking reforms that were achieved in record time, and the state of economic growth that reached a total of about 6 % , which enhances the government's efforts in development, expressing readiness to cooperate and work within a bilateral partnership that serves the interests of economic development. LINK