Sandy Ingram
The U.S. has limited its efforts to help increase the value of the Vietnam Dong...The U.S. at times has labeled Vietnam as a currency manipulator, accusing it of deliberately keeping the Dong undervalued to make its exports cheaper and more competitive in global markets.
Vietnam has managed to achieve significant economic growth despite its currency being undervalued...A low currency value makes exports cheaper and more attractive to international buyers...
Al-Sudani discusses with the World Bank Maximizing the non-oil economy
Information/Baghdad..
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani received on Tuesday the World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Othman Dayon, where they discussed ways of cooperation between Iraq and the World Bank, and the progress of the development of development projects in Iraq.
The Sudanese office said in a statement received by Al-Maalah Agency that “development projects that aim to maximize the non-oil economy and contribute to the creation of jobs are given priority in government attention,” stressing “to proceed with economic reforms that support the private sector, and that the World Bank is called upon to enhance this experience.”
He pointed out that “the government considers the World Bank an important partner in the reform processes,
and that the Ministerial Council of Economy has approved the program approved in the Ministry of Planning in cooperation with the World Bank, especially since the results of the reform steps in the customs and tax field have begun to appear concretely and positively.”
The meeting witnessed “the discussion of the financing of the project of rehabilitating the old railway, and the financing of a number of other development projects, where Mr. Dayon pledged to finance the bank for a number of oil, energy and other infrastructure projects, and the contribution of the International Finance Corporation / IFC in financing a number of private sector projects was also discussed.” Ended 25/J
https://almaalomah.me/news/89431/economy/السوداني-يبحث-مع-البنك-الدولي-تعظيم-الاقتصاد-غير-النفطي
MarkZ
[via PDK]
Think about everything on the plate of the new US secretary right now…. The US has a freeze on money and they are scrambling because the last administration spent 30% of our budget in just 19 days! But for some reason…just 9 days into the new administration…in his first few days as Treasury secretary…
Mr. Bessent’s US Treasury team is off to the middle east into Iraq…a country with an almost worthless currency according to world views…We know better and the middle east knows better…. But for some reason –
it’s a priority to have the US Treasury over there…I’ll let you guys figure out why. But it will tell you how close we are right now. IMO.
Two federal banks express their readiness to pay the salaries of Kurdistan employees. Document
Shafak News / The two government banks “Al-Rashid and Al-Rafidain” announced on Wednesday their full readiness to disburse the salaries of employees of the Kurdistan Region, in case of sending salary lists by the Federal Ministry of Finance without any obstacles.
“On January 20, 2025, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance issued an official book bearing the number (268) that included a joint response to Al-Rashid and Rafidain banks on the procedures for paying the salaries of the employees of the Kurdistan Region,” said Suran Omar, MP for Shafmaniyah province.
In the same context, Al-Rasheed Bank issued an official letter on January 19, 2025 No. (373), in which it affirmed its full readiness to disburse salaries, pointing out that it is waiting for the completion of the necessary agreements with the competent authorities. He also explained that the process of localizing salaries will be through a special banking application that allows employees to receive exchange cards through their mobile devices, while salaries will be distributed through the bank’s branches or approved private banking channels.
For Rafidain Bank, it confirmed in its letter issued on January 19, 2025 No. (3/1/128) its readiness to pay the salaries of the region’s employees, pointing to the provision of bank card issuance services, including international MasterCard and local cards, to enable employees to receive their salaries easily through approved private banks.
The salary file of Kurdistan Region employees is witnessing ongoing challenges as a result of financial disputes between the region and the federal government in Baghdad, and despite repeated agreements between the two parties, the process of disbursing salaries sometimes faces delays related to administrative and technical procedures.
In this context, government banks, such as Al-Rasheed and Al-Rafidain, seek to provide modern banking solutions to facilitate the disbursement process and reduce dependence on cash, through the issuance of bank cards and the adoption of digital applications for the localization of salaries.
AJ
"The CBI will work to finance important industrial projects that will raise the rate of contribution of the industrial side to the overall economy of Iraq."
Lots of Good Nuggets to Read 
His Excellency the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mr. Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, participated in the Iraq Energy Conference 2025 organized by the Iraq Development Platform in the capital, Baghdad.
His Excellency the Governor said in a dialogue session on the sidelines of the Iraq Energy Conference 2025: The Central Bank is one of the global banking institutions that adopts unconventional monetary policies and is concerned with achieving "economic stability." His Excellency stressed that the Central Bank intervenes in supporting and financing various projects through its various initiatives,
including renewable energy projects, whether through direct or indirect support,
pointing to the importance of monetary and financial stability, which is no less important than political and security stability. He added that the Council of Ministers approved enhancing cooperation between government banks with a financial surplus to finance industrial projects through the Industrial Bank, as it is the competent authority in this field, indicating the imminent launch of this major initiative,
in cooperation with TBI Bank, which will work to finance important industrial projects that will raise the rate of contribution of the industrial side to the overall economy of Iraq. Central Bank of Iraq Media Office January 28, 2025