Article 1: "The Minister of Commerce discusses with the Director of the International Trade Center the formula for joint action and support for Iraq to obtain membership in the WTO" Article 2: "For the first time in 20 years...
Iraq participates in the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization"
Paulette
IMSO...now that the Federal Court ruled, the Oil and Gas Law is no longer needed.The court wrote the entire Oil and Gas Law in one decision.
All government employee salaries are paid through Baghdad and all oil and non oil revenues of Kurdistan go to the Federal government. Nothing more to say or agree to. "Binding and Compelling".
The Territory Commercial Bank announces financing Iraq's trade with India in rupees
2/27/2024 Baghdad
The Territory Commercial Bank announced financing trade between Iraq and India in the rupee currency.
The bank said in a press statement, “We announce the launch of a pioneering initiative to enhance trade exchange between Iraq and India, where trading partners can now conduct their financial transactions in the Indian rupee. This step aims to facilitate and accelerate commercial operations between the two countries by providing simplified and effective financial solutions.”
He added, "Within the framework of this initiative, the Territory Commercial Bank opened an account in Indian rupees with DBS Bank in New Delhi, which allows cross-border financial transactions to be carried out more easily and efficiently. This transformation aims to eliminate the challenges related to currency exchange and reduce transaction costs and the time required to complete them." “This will reflect positively on the efficiency of trade between Iraq and India.”
Thebank indicated that we assure our customers that all transactions inthe Indian rupee will be conducted in accordance with the laws anddirectives set by the Central Bank of Iraq, to ensure complete safetyand transparency in all operations.
The bank called on companies operating in the field of trade between Iraq and India to benefit from this service, which provides them with the opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce costs. LINK
Article: "The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government arrives in Washington on an official visit”
Article quote: "the prevailing proposal is to replace every thousand dinars of the current currency with one dinar of the new currency...
The deleting zeros can achieve many benefits, the most important of which is getting rid of high inflation pressures on the economy and restoring confidence in the national currency and the monetary system as a whole, facilitating accounting processes and cash exchange between citizens, and reducing the cost of managing and maintaining the monetary block by reducing its volume under circulation"
Article: "Biden's envoy arrives in Baghdad and meets Al-Sudani"
Article: " Al-Sudani is making an upcoming visit to Washington"
Quote "The two sides discussed the files that will be raised during the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Washington, and the cooperation mechanism within the strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States, and the committees formed in this regard,”
Article: "Al-Sudani is making an upcoming visit to Washington" Quote "The two sides discussed the files that will be raised during the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Washington, and the cooperation mechanism within the strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States, and the committees formed in this regard ,”
"ANALYSIS OF IRAQ NEWS"
Al-Sudani’s Office: The Iraqi speech in Munich was frank about issues of sovereignty, security, and economic partnerships
2/17/2024
Director of the Media Office of the Prime Minister, Rabie Nader, confirmed today, Saturday, that the Iraqi speech in Munich was frank on issues of sovereignty, security, and serious economic partnerships.
Nader said, in a tweet on the {X} platform, that: “More than 22 meetings were held by the Prime Minister in Munich in just two days, and the Iraqi speech was frank on issues of sovereignty, security, and serious economic partnerships.”
He added, “There was great international understanding of Iraq’s desire to move the relationship with the international coalition countries from security to strategic partnerships in various fields, and the messages were clear that Iraq’s security is necessary for the security of the region and a stable Iraq is in everyone’s interest.”
Nard continued, “Iraq is a meeting point and refuses to be an arena for settling scores, and the international community must move quickly to stop the war on Gaza.” LINK
Clare: Al-Sudani discusses with members of the US Congress the end of the international coalition’s mission and the transition to bilateral relations
2/17/2024
Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani discussed, with members of the US Congress, today, Saturday, the end of the international coalition’s mission in Iraq.
Al-Sudani’s media office stated in a statement received by {Al-Furat News} that “Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani received four members of the US Congress, namely: Mike Turner, McKeirl, Joe Wilson, and Gerry Connolly, on the sidelines of his Excellency’s participation in the 2024 Munich Security Conference.” .
The statement added, “During the meeting, bilateral relations between Iraq and the United States were discussed, and ways to enhance constructive cooperation, as well as a number of files and issues of common interest were reviewed.
The meeting also touched on the ongoing dialogue regarding ending the mission of the international coalition in Iraq, after the arrival of the security forces.” Iraq has reached an advanced stage of readiness and high performance, and the transition to broad bilateral relations between Iraq, the United States of America, and the rest of the coalition countries.”
The Prime Minister stressed, “the necessity of developing relations between the two countries at various levels and sectors, without limiting them to the security aspect only,” pointing to “the state of recovery that Iraq is going through, the reforms it is witnessing in various economic and financial sectors, and the progress of concluding integrated economic partnerships with countries in the region.” “And the world, which will contribute to promoting development and achieving stability for the country.”
For their part, members of the US Congress indicated their “interest in the success of the Iraqi government in several aspects,” stressing “the importance of Iraq and its role in enhancing security and stability in the region.” LINK
Parliamentary Finance: Last year’s budget was not spent as required and we are waiting for the new schedules
Member of the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, Jamal Kujar, said that the 2023 budget was not spent as required, indicating that the Council is waiting for the 2024 budget schedules to be sent from the government.
Cougar stated in a press interview, “The budget was voted on for a period of 3 years, and the government is required to send the schedules for the year 2024 and the paragraphs that may witness amendments, especially related to the numbers of oil quantities in the event of an increase or change, as well as the projects and costs that have been allocated to them.”
He explained, “If a project from the previous budget is completed, it will be removed from the new tables, as well as the paragraphs related to the Kurdistan region in the event of a change to it,” pointing out that “the Finance Committee has no comments on some of the items, since they were voted on, but there may be.” Notes to the government, and these will inevitably be amen ded.”
He pointed out that “the budget schedules have not yet been voted on in the Council of Ministers, because the mechanism for passing them begins with collecting the budgets of the governorates and institutions in the Ministries of Planning and Finance, and then a draft is prepared and sent to the Council of Ministers for discussion, amendment and correction, and then it is returned to the Ministry of Finance, to be completed.” They are finalized and sent again to be voted on in the Council of Ministers, and finally to the House of Representatives.”
Cougar stated, “The budget amounts will be close to the 2023 budget, and there may be an increase in them, since the deficit included in the 2023 budget has not been achieved, meaning that there is no real deficit occurring, and there is a delay in spending the budget, and this led to it not being spent in the required manner.” link
...Iraq is finally breaking the news all about the Project to Delete the Zeros. This is fantastic news but just news for now. The actual execution part is coming and I was told by my weekly call to my CBI contact in Iraq on Saturday, that it will be VERY SOON!
For us investors we are still waiting for OFAC sanctions to be lifted in the US before the banks will “legally” exchange. But exchange at what rate? So, we also wait for another “official” rate change to occur by the CBI prior to the Project to Delete the Zeros.
We know this project is just steps away from the RV/Reinstatement of the dinar back to FOREX. Once on FOREX the OFAC sanctions will have to be lifted. Then we head to the bank to exchange and only at this time. Get it?
I want to quote yet another statement from this recent article – “Banks will be responsible for financing foreign trade directly through the dollars they own” (and not from the CBI reserves). So what does this mean and what is the importance to us as investors?
This means the CBI will no longer be asking the US Treasury to ship plane loads of dollars to Iraq to meet the demand for dollars to pay for imports. Instead, the banks in Iraq themselves will work with banks in the US to transfer dollars. Of course, this will only work if the electronic banking system in Iraq is working and used. We have learned in past news from the CBI the direct connection between electronic banking and the success of the monetary reform implementation. So, this is all interconnected. Again, something as changed, and it appears that finally the electronic Point Of Sale (POS) and consumer debit cards is taking hold in Iraq. This is a decade long project for Iraq.
Then in the same article it also says and I quote – “Banks will be fully responsible for auditing invoices and transfers, which is the practice globally.” What this statement tells us is that banks will now take us new responsibilities, which are common global banking practices for banks. I can only imagine the CBI must have put some stiff penalties on the banks for further. This is how the rest of the world’s banking system works and so we will finally see soon Iraq coming fully out of the sanctioned, isolationist operation of their banking system and joining the rest of the world. We all know Iraq has been fully released from all UN sanctions in December of 2022 and so it will be about time to start acting like it. But we all know things are slow in Iraq and we have to remember that they are also making monumental leaps in technology and fighting corruption along the way.