Al-Nasiri: A new round of understandings to regulate trade finance and control the exchange rate on the black market with the US Federal Reserve
Economy News _ Baghdad 2023/11/30 - 10:02 AM
A government delegation that includes officials from the Central Bank of Iraq will hold a new round of understandings early next December, with the US Federal Reserve, to hold meetings within the framework of a series of negotiations in order to reach more agreements to regulate trade financing and enhance the balances of Iraqi banks of various foreign currencies in correspondent banks, and thus control dollar speculation in black.
The adviser to the Association of Iraqi Private Banks Samir Al-Nasiri said in an interview with "Economy News", that there are negotiations currently taking place with the concerned authorities in Turkey and with Turkish banks to enhance balances in euros or Turkish lira, as well as that it will deal in the coming days with the UAE mediated by the First Abu Dhabi Bank to enhance balances in UAE dirhams, "stressing that "the government and the Central Bank are in the last round of the battle with speculators, and the dollar exchange rate in Iraq will stabilize soon."
Al-Nasiri pointed out that "the total foreign trade or trade exchange of Iraq with countries annually is about 60 billion dollars, distributed between China about 12-14 billion dollars, Turkey about 10 billion dollars, Iran about 10-12 billion dollars, and then the rest of the countries such as India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and others." Samir Al-Nasiri pointed out that "the new currencies that will strengthen the balances of our banks are the European euro, the Chinese yuan, the UAE dirham, the Turkish lira and the Indian rupee, and may constitute at least 60% of the volume of our annual imports," noting that "dealing with these currencies comes after the approval of the US Federal Reserve and its assistance and in agreement with it."
He explained that "the opening of accounts for correspondent banks, which have now reached more than 40 new accounts in correspondent banks, opened by our banks, which number within the limits of a bank, which is heading to increase to more than this number, and that these correspondent banks are such as Citibank, JP Morgan, Chinese, Emirati, Indian and Turkish banks," stressing "that there are no fears that Iraq will be subjected to sanctions from the US Federal Reserve in this regard, but that these banks are authorized to deal and open accounts after agreement with the US Federal Reserve."
There are new instructions and procedures for the Central Bank that include allowing Iraqi banks that have accounts abroad in foreign currencies to import and transfer these currencies into Iraq for the purpose of using them to distribute citizens' deposits with our banks, which are in foreign currency, and therefore will be distributed to them, as well as giving flexibility to these banks to deal with companies and organizations who receive their salaries in foreign currencies, "in accordance with specific conditions and controls issued by the Central Bank and that this step will lead to the preservation of the foreign currency reserves of the Central Bank. According to the consultant of the Association of Iraqi Banks.
"The above twenty banks have opened their accounts according to specific obligations and controls to enhance their balances, and thus they will control the movement of black market speculators and put pressure on the dollar circulating on the black market resulting from illegal trade and uncontrolled uncontrolled uncontrolled outlets," al-Nasiri said. Advisor to the Association of Iraqi Banks, stated that "the measures to shift from the monetary economy to the digital economy, which will be implemented by the government and the Central Bank through broad measures, will contribute to determining the dollar dealing in the black market."
