We will not wait for companies, we will act, 11 OCT

 We will not wait for companies, we will act

Baghdad reaches an understanding with the Doha Stock Exchange: Iraqi shares will be able to be traded in Qatar as well

The Iraqi Securities Commission revealed a project with the Qatar Stock Exchange that will allow for the joint establishment of companies, leading to “dual listing” that will allow the listing of Iraqi shares in both the Iraqi and Qatari markets.

The commission member, Wadah Al-Taha, said that it will not wait for major and promising companies to list their shares on the Iraqi Stock Exchange, but will form a committee to encourage those companies. He pointed out that expanding the Iraqi Stock Exchange requires the listing of government sector companies on the stock exchange.

Waddah Al-Taha - Member of the Board of the Securities Commission, in an interview with the media figure, Dhikrayat Muhammad:

Expanding the work of the Iraq Stock Exchange requires restructuring mixed companies, through the government sector relinquishing its shares and listing and offering them for investment, while we work on listing public government companies.

Usually, stock markets around the world represent a mirror of a country’s economy, but in Iraq, the stock market does not reflect the economy, for several reasons, including the weakness of the investment culture, the decline in government support and understanding, in addition to the fact that the importance of listing and initial public offerings is unclear to private sector companies.

We seek to “deepen” the Iraqi Stock Exchange, meaning diversify its sectors participating in the subscription, with the aim of reducing the ceiling of investment risks and creating relative attractiveness for investors. We are currently working on merging our governance draft with the draft of the International Finance Corporation to give a global character to our investment environment and send reassuring messages to foreign investors.

Instead of waiting for promising emerging companies to come to the Iraqi market for listing, we are currently working on forming a specialized committee to move towards such companies and reach an understanding with them in order to list their shares in the market. The criteria for selecting the targeted companies revolve around performance, financial efficiency, company history, sector quality, and management nature.

We have a memorandum of understanding with the Qatari side, and we hope to approve it during the coming period. It has very good content, as it allows us to establish companies jointly, and we aspire to reach the stage of “dual listing” where the Iraqi stock can trade in the Iraqi and Qatari markets, in addition to applying the regulatory standards in effect there.

We apply a high level of “global standard” procedures in terms of combating money laundering. The market is very safe in this regard. Our standards are sometimes harsh and restrictive for investors, but they ensure that there are no illegal financial activities.  link