CBI imposes +$190M in fines on banks, exchange firms
Shafaq News/ The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) announced, on Sunday, that it imposed more than 249 billion IQD (about $190 million) in fines on banks and non-banking institutions, such as exchange companies, over the past nine months.
Official data showed that penalties on financial institutions from January to the end of September reached 249,889,756,016 IQD. Additionally, 221 administrative sanctions—including warnings, notifications, and grace periods—were issued to various banks and non-banking firms.
The data indicated that January saw the highest level of fines, totaling 98,277,722,062 IQD ($74,997,180), alongside 17 administrative penalties. In contrast, September recorded the lowest, with fines reaching 2,331,465,048 IQD ($1,779,175) and 13 sanctions.
The list did not disclose the names of the fined institutions.
Furthermore, the Association of Investors in the Iraq Stock Exchange recently criticized CBI’s increased penalties, noting potential impacts on the profitability of investors in the affected banks' stocks.
Prime Minister: The government is moving forward with the growth of the oil and gas sectors
10/28/2024
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani discussed today, Sunday, with Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani al-Sawad the government's previous plans for the growth of the oil and gas sectors.
The Prime Minister's Media Office stated in a statement, a copy of which was received by NRT Arabic, that "Al-Sudani received today the Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani Al-Sawad, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Distribution Affairs."
He added that "Al-Sudani referred, during the meeting, to the government's previous plans for the growth of the oil and gas sectors, and the development of their projects within the government program, through the licensing rounds in which contracts were signed to invest in many oil and gas fields, in addition to investing in associated gas projects, and oil derivatives production projects."
Regarding cooperation with the OPEC Plus group, the meeting emphasized “the importance of partnership with oil-producing countries, with the aim of maintaining the stability and balance of global oil markets, and Iraq’s commitment to what was agreed upon within the group, including voluntary cuts and compensation for the increase in production, according to the updated schedule submitted by the Ministry of Oil to OPEC.” LINK
FRANK26: "SUDANI PREPARES HIS BANKS... FOR HIS PEOPLE."............F26
Opening new branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks in Sulaymaniyah
10/26/2024
Sulaymaniyah
An informed source revealed, today, Saturday (October 26, 2024), that new branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks will be opened in Sulaymaniyah Governorate during the coming week.
The source said in an interview with "Baghdad Today" that "approval was given to open branches of Rafidain and Rashid Banks in Sulaymaniyah Governorate," indicating that "the location was chosen in the middle of 60th Street in the city."
He added, "A branch of the Trade Bank of Iraq will be opened in Halabja Governorate, and branches of the Trade Bank of Iraq will be opened in the areas of Garmian and Raparin, with the aim of increasing the salary settlement centers in the federal banks, as a result of the great momentum in the bank's branch in Sulaymaniyah."
An informed source reported on Thursday (October 24, 2024) that the offices of the “My Account” project affiliated with the Kurdistan Regional Government in the city of Sulaymaniyah were closed, and that applications for settlement were limited to the Trade Bank of Iraq affiliated with the federal government.
The source said in an interview with "Baghdad Today" that "the decision was issued by the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Pavel Talabani, more than 10 days ago, but now it has been implemented."
He added, “The application is currently exclusively at the Trade Bank of Iraq, and there is a large number of employees to localize their salaries. There is only one branch in Majidi Mall, and there are demands to open other branches of the bank, And also to open branches of Rafidain and Rashid, to localize all salaries.”
Before that, the representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Gharib Ahmed, rejected the project of localizing salaries in the region, indicating that this decision came based on the directives of the party’s leader, Pavel Talabani, and in compliance with the decision of the Federal Court, which stipulates that salaries be localized in federal banks exclusively.
Speaking to Baghdad Today Agency on Monday (October 7, 2024), Ahmed explained that “localizing salaries in an accounting project will harm the interests of employees in the region,” stressing that
“the optimal solution is to localize salaries in federal banks only, which ensures that salaries are paid on a monthly basis as is the case in the rest of the Iraqi governorates.”
On February 21, the Federal Court decided to “oblige Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, to localize the salaries of Kurdistan Region employees at outlets spread across the region or banks open and licensed by the Central Bank of Iraq, and to deduct them from the region’s budget for this year and the coming years.”
