Goldilocks - QFS Conversations ™🌱🧂, [04/26/2024, 7:01:05 p. m.]:
CNN —
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Friday said that Republic First Bank has been closed by Pennsylvania state regulators, in what the FDIC said was the first US bank failure this year.
FRANK26: "TEMENOS IS A POWERFUL BANKING PLATFORM THAT JUST WENT LIVE & STUCK ITS TONGUE AT PARLIAMENT, AS IT RAN BY THEM BACK TO IRAN"...........F26
National Bank of Iraq goes live with Temenos core banking and payments
4/25/2024
Source: Temenos
Temenos (SIX: TEMN) today announced that National Bank of Iraq (NBI), part of the Capital Bank Group, has successfully gone live with Temenos core banking and payments.
NBI, which has 27 branches across Iraq, offers a comprehensive range of services to individuals and businesses in the country. Since 2005, NBI has been majority owned by Capital Bank, one of the top financial institutions operating in the Jordanian and regional markets, with assets of approximately JOD 7.6 billion[1]. With this implementation, NBI moved from its legacy systems onto the same core banking platform as other entities in the Capital Bank Group. This will enable NBI to operate more efficiently and integrate seamlessly with other systems to develop new products faster and deliver an improved customer experience.
Capital Bank Group is a long-standing Temenos customer with other entities in the Group including Capital Bank of Jordan, Bank Audi, Société Générale Bank Jordan and NBI Saudi Arabia, already on the Temenos platform.
NBI also becomes the first part of the group to adopt Temenos Payments, which enabled the bank to process more than 100,000 transactions of incoming and outgoing domestic and international payments in the first 15 days of operation, with a 99% straight-through processing rate.
The migration to the Temenos platform for core banking and payments at NBI was completed in under 12 months thanks to Temenos’ pre-configured banking and payments capabilities and APIs which reduced the need for complex customizations, as well as close collaboration between Temenos, NBI, Capital Bank and delivery partner ITSS. This success was recently recognized in the IBS Intelligence Innovation Awards, with Capital Bank winning ‘Best Implementation of Core Banking Services’.
The implementation at NBI follows several other successful transformation projects with Temenos for Capital Bank in the last few years, including the launch of NBI’s branch operations in Saudi Arabia in just 45 days, as well as the integration of Bank Audi and the former Jordanian operations of Société Générale, each of which was achieved in under four months.
Collectively, these projects helped Capital Bank to increase operational efficiency by more than 50% within three years, bringing significant cost savings and an improved customer experience. With faster, more accurate processing and immediate service requests, the bank has maintained high customer retention rates and a reputation for service excellence.
Izzidin Abusalameh, Chief Operations Officer, Capital Bank Group, commented: “This achievement marks a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey and positions us as a leading player in the banking industry. We have seamlessly transitioned the National Bank of Iraq to a cutting-edge core banking system which will not only enhance operational efficiency but also support providing our customers with a superior digital banking experience. Our continued partnership with Temenos has not only provided us with an advanced technological platform but has also facilitated a culture of flexibility and adaptability, enabling us to execute our ambitious growth plans.”
Lee Allcorn, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Temenos, said: “Congratulations to National Bank of Iraq and the Capital Bank team on this successful implementation that gives NBI business agility and the same modern technology platform and ability to deploy fast with pre-configured banking capabilities as the rest of the group.With Temenos, Capital Bank Group is future-ready, and we are proud to support them as they continue to innovate and leverage our platform to grow sustainably and enhance the banking experience for customers.”
Temenos is the global market leader in banking software, consistently ranked #1 by IBS Intelligence for core banking and payments, including in the most recent IBSi Sales League Table 2023.
FIREFLY: They just told us Iraqi citizens that Iraq has completed the initial phase of joining the WTO. Basically they're saying we're now members of the WTO...
FRANK: Don't worry about the WTO. They are members. Everything else is just noise.
FIREFLY: Some so called expert is on television right now, he's on our news Channel One warning Iraq about floating the dinar. He's saying to us it's not a good idea and it could lead to a collapse of our currency and it could be a massive inflation. This is all from someone against Iraq dinar.
FRANK: They're not stupid...These tactics...doesn't work anymore.
FIREFLY: With corruption all over Iraq they will announce the new exchange rate and then parliament will have to do an emergency session to make the vote... There are so many crooks in our nation. This is what was preventing our new exchange rate. It's different now.
FRANK: I agree with your procession of events to occur... Everything waits for the new exchange rate especially the budget.
The Association of Private Banks appreciates the efforts of the government and the Central Bank to create understandings with the Treasury, the Federal Bank, and international banks
4/26/2024
The head of the Iraqi Private Banks Association, Wadih Al-Handal, participated in the Arab Economic Security Forum, which was organized by the Union of Arab Banks in Beirut.
Al-Handal said in his speech, “The forum is being held in complex circumstances and geopolitical changes taking place in the region, and the Arab banking sector has begun to be affected, starting with the State of Iraq,” adding that Iraq is still facing major challenges, at various economic levels, including the deprivation of the Iraqi private banking sector.
From the use of the dollar, which exceeded half the number of banks operating inside the country, which is a very dangerous indicator, despite the efforts of Iraqi government and private institutions to comply with local and international anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws, but for the first time we are witnessing a clear targeting of the sector that has begun to affect banking services inside the country, It undermines citizen confidence and hinders the expansion of financial inclusion.
He added that these challenges facing the banking sector reaffirm the prominent role played by the Union of Arab Banks, international organizations and Arab banks in coordinating positions and confronting dangers together, noting that our meeting is taking place. "It represents an opportunity for cooperation and agreement on a work roadmap for the future, as targeting the Iraqi banking sector will not stop within its borders, and may expand at any moment to other countries in light of the regional turmoil."
Al-Handal pointed out that “the Association of Private Banks is working with the Iraqi government, the Central Bank, and some local and international institutions, to save the banking sector, and return banks deprived of dealing in dollars to their activities, but this is not enough, but rather requires continuing cooperation with the Arab and foreign banking sector, because the stage of merging... The Iraqi banking sector with its Arab counterpart must begin quickly, and we are taking great strides in this direction, especially since Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani held dialogues in Washington with the American President and other government officials, who announced in a joint statement the possibility of a group of Iraqi banks returning to dealing. in dollars and support the private banking sector.”
Al-Handal appreciated the efforts of the Iraqi government and the Central Bank of Iraq to create deeper understandings with international banks, the Federal Reserve, and the US Treasury to expand the integration of the Iraqi banking sector into the global financial system, in addition to supporting the Iraqi dinar, which led to a gradual rise in its value.
He pointed out that Iraq is witnessing great development in the transition to electronic government and the adoption of electronic payment, and this is what leads to the growth of the digital economy, especially since there is a trend within the country to increase the number of electronic banks, to keep pace with technological development and increase performance.
WILL THE AGREEMENTS SIGNED WITH THE US TREASURY REFLECT POSITIVELY ON THE EXCHANGE RATES?
Today, Thursday, economic expert Abdul Rahman Al-Mashhadani stated the possibility of Iraqi getting a green light to contract with Iranian companies that are not sanctioned by the United States, while anticipating the impact of the Central Bank’s agreement with the US Treasury on exchange rates.
Al-Mashhadani said, in an interview with Al-Iqtisad News, “The visit of the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, to America is very positive, but so far the results of what was agreed upon in Washington have not appeared.”
He added: “It is hoped that the Central Bank of Iraq will announce the measures that were agreed upon in Washington, which could have a positive impact on the exchange rate,” pointing out that “the real problem of exchange rates has not yet been solved,
which is dealing in trade with banned countries.”
The economic expert explained, “The economic aspect was the main focus of Sudanese’s visit to Washington, and it became clear through the meetings and discussions held by the Central Bank of Iraq, with the US Treasury regarding the sanctions imposed on Iraqi banks or even the issue of financial transfers to Iran, in addition to the required investments, which “It is possible to sign in the energy field.”
He stressed, “Iraq got the other light by contracting with unsanctioned Iranian companies, which allowed the Ministry of Electricity to sign a contract to recover Iranian gas for a period of five years, at a time when the government is heading to end this file after 3 years, according to what was announced.”
