Sunday, September 7, 2025

๐Ÿ“‰ Economist Warns: Iraq’s Banking System Is Failing the Economy

๐Ÿ“‰ Economist Warns: Iraq’s Banking System Is Failing the Economy

“Iraq is not suffering from a liquidity crisis — it’s suffering from a misuse of liquidity.”
— Economist Manar Al-Obaidi


๐Ÿ’ฐ Key Points:

  • Over 85% of bank deposits in Iraq are held in government banks.

  • As of June 2025, total deposits exceeded 115 trillion IQD:

    • 95+ trillion IQD are non-interest-bearing (checking accounts).

    • Less than 20 trillion IQD are in savings or fixed deposits.

๐Ÿ“Œ The majority of funds are sitting idle, not circulating through the economy in a productive way.


๐Ÿ“Š Low Lending and Misallocated Capital:

Banks are not fueling Iraq’s economy — they’re acting like storage vaults.


⚠️ What’s the Risk?

Without reform:

  • Iraq’s banking system will continue to support consumerism, not production.

  • Economic diversification will stall.

  • Job creation and growth will remain minimal.

  • Efforts like currency reform or RV will be undermined.


๐Ÿ› ️ Economist's Solutions:

  1. Redirect loans to productive sectors: agriculture, industry, renewable energy.

  2. Develop state-backed financing tools for SMEs.

  3. Raise interest rates on savings/fixed deposits to attract long-term capital.

  4. Launch joint public-private funds for national projects.

  5. Enhance bank governance, transparency, and accountability.


✅ Bottom Line:

Iraq doesn’t need more money — it needs to use its money smarter.
Fixing the government banking system is key to unlocking Iraq’s economic potential and rebuilding public trust.


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