THE CENTRAL BANK REASSURES: COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS AND A SWIFT RETURN OF BANKS DEPRIVED OF DOLLARS
The Central Bank of Iraq reassured the public on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) regarding the ongoing banking reforms, stressing that rebuilding the banking sector is the main pillar of its work at the present stage, during a session attended by a number of experts and specialists.
The bank said in its statement, received by “Baghdad Today”, that its governor, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, presented an extensive proposal for the reform plan, explaining that the contract with Oliver Wyman came after the restrictions imposed on a number of banks dealing in dollars, with the aim of implementing comprehensive reforms that ensure their compliance with international standards, noting that there are assurances that those banks will return to their normal environment after the completion of the reform stages.
The statement added that all Iraqi banks have signed the reform document, indicating that compliant banks will be granted the ability to deal in other currencies in gradual steps, while confirming that international bodies are directly monitoring the progress of work on this file.
He added that the digital dinar project is still under implementation and requires time and integrated infrastructure before it can be officially launched.
The bank noted that Al-Alaq reiterated the commitment to maintaining overall price stability by fixing the exchange rate and keeping inflation at low levels, warning that reducing the dinar’s exchange rate would have negative repercussions on low-income groups and weaken confidence in the national currency.
The statement concluded by stressing the need to avoid using the exchange rate as a tool to address the structural deficit, emphasizing the need for structural reforms to maximize revenues, control expenditures, and diversify the economy, while supporting the government’s directions in this area.
