Article: "UAE-based venture capital fund EQIQ has announced a $3-million anchor investment in a new digital banking startupled by Iraqi-American finance veteran Hussain Qaragholi"
Quote: "Qaragholi, founder of Phoenix Finance Partners, has held senior roles at Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank. He played a major role in Iraq's $22-billion debt restructuring and sovereign bond offerings, and currently serves on RAND Corporation's Global and Emerging Risks Board."
Sometimes you only get potatoes but other times you get meat with them. This is as meaty as it gets.
However, stay grounded, Operative Words are NEW, START-UP, & FOUNDATION. When they say things like; scalable, customer-focused, digital services, this is a direct relationship with the new digital Dinar...This only applies to foreign imports and debts and not the domestic economy which will continue to use physical paper currency and payment cards like Qi, Mastercard, and Visa.
Localization of private sector salaries, rapid payment, and collection... Al-Sudani issues banking decisions.
7/7/2025
- Baghdad
An Iraqi government source revealed on Monday that the number of bank accounts has reached approximately 20 million, compared to 8 million in 2022, a growth of more than 150%.
The source confirmed, in a press statement received by Shafaq News Agency, that "the digital transformation rate of Iraqi ministries and institutions has increased to approximately 32%, after it was less than 18% in 2022, with a growth rate of 78%."
He pointed out that "the number of bank cards increased to 21-22 million cards (of all types, including credit, debit, and prepaid), up from 16 million cards in 2022, representing a growth rate of 38%." He also noted that the number of point-of-sale devices reached approximately 62,000 devices, up from less than 10,000 devices in 2022, representing a growth rate of up to 520%.
According to a government source, data indicates that the financial inclusion rate in Iraq has reached approximately 40%, up from less than 10% in 2019.
The source noted that the Prime Minister had recently issued a number of future decisions related to a number of important projects in the field of electronic payment, and stressed the need to complete them as soon as possible. These projects include:
- Activation of the local card, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
- Activate the fast payment project.
- Activating the unified electronic collection application.
- Localizing private sector salaries in line with the government sector.
- Establishing a unified center for complaints related to electronic payment transactions, headquartered at the National Data Center.
The source expected these projects to be completed in less than a year, stressing that their implementation would contribute to Iraq's advancement to a new level among advanced countries in this field.
There are a handful of devices protecting the new exchange rate...
two printings in the gazette...12-2C... Council of Ministers...Sudani...Salaries that are being guaranteed to be paid to oil companies past and future...
there's a budget protecting the new exchange rate.
FRANK26: "AND SO IS THE NEW EXCHANGE RATE"......F26
The regional salaries file is on the table of Rashid and Al-Sudani
7/7/2025
- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid on Monday.
Al-Sudani's office said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that the meeting discussed the general situation in the country, developments at the regional level, and the challenges facing the region in general. The meeting emphasized the need to unify rhetoric and positions, prioritize the national interest in confronting all forms of challenges, and take into account the interests of all Iraqis.
The issue of funding the salaries of employees of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was also discussed, and efforts were made to resolve joint issues in accordance with the applicable constitutional and legal formulas.
The meeting also discussed the ongoing preparations for holding the elections on schedule, so that their results will truly reflect the aspirations of the Iraqi people.
[via PDK] Article: “The coming hours may witness the signing” This is about the Erbil/Baghdad oil agreements . There is a lot of back and forth right now.
But articles are saying they have worked through the issues and signing is imminent. We saw this same kind of back and forth in Kuwait.