Iraqi News Articles for Sunday FEB 14 21
NO WOTS for today just articles
these are the articles I discussed on the podcast at: https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/eqec2u?wpshare=2
An economist: The formation of a committee for economic reform is a good and unprecedented step to implement the provisions of the White Paper
Economic expert, Raad Twaij, confirmed that the formation of a committee for economic reform is a good and unprecedented step to implement the provisions of the White Paper.
Twig said in a statement to the Iraqi National Agency for Sons / NINA /: "The formation of a reform committee by the prime minister is an unprecedented step and an applied aspect of the white paper, and thus the beginning of the restructuring of the Iraqi economy and the analysis of the defects that are centered in the rentier economy and trying to rid the Iraqi economy of gaps and vibrations, especially The recent financial crisis and the World Bank’s expectations for a 12% contraction this year,
noting that "the rise in oil prices above $ 60 a barrel is considered a major contributing factor to support the reform wave and to complete the reform process."
Twig called for the Iraqi economy to be divided into two halves, the first part related to the losing sectors, how to reform it, the winning part, how to deepen it, and the need to rely on human development, which will contribute to expediting the reform process and building new capabilities and structures for the Iraqi economy.
The Iraqi Prime Minister reviews the steps for economic reform and the preparation of the white paper
Mustafa Al-Kazemi, Prime Minister of Iraq, reviewed the latest developments related to government steps in the field of economic reform, the completion of the white reform paper, and the inclusion of related concepts in the general federal budget law.
This came during his meeting, today, Saturday, with ambassadors of the countries of the Economic Contact Group in support of Iraq, according to a statement from the Media Office of the Prime Minister.
Al-Kazemi stressed the importance of government measures to address the chronic problems plaguing the Iraqi economy, and their link to corruption and mismanagement.
The Prime Minister said: The reform paper carries a future vision towards building an advanced Iraqi economy that stimulates local production in the industrial, agricultural and other sectors, provides job opportunities, and optimizes Iraq's human and material energies.
Al-Kazemi also indicated that the government is proceeding with steps to combat corruption despite the great pressures that hinder this file as a result of harming the interests of those who have been living illegally on state resources for many years.
The Prime Minister stressed the need to activate the outputs of international conferences held in this regard, in order to turn into concrete steps in the interest of the Iraqi economy, and to provide a decent life for the citizen.
The ambassadors of the countries of the Economic Contact Group, headed by Germany and the European Union, in addition to the World Bank, praised the importance of the steps taken by the government to implement reform, and expressed their willingness to work according to the priorities set by Iraq to support the reform process and anti-corruption efforts.
Al-Halbousi: The political process is ahead of important and crucial days
The Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, confirmed, on Saturday, that the process is in front of crucial and important days with the approaching elections, while he warned that the citizen's livelihood has become threatened .
In a speech delivered during the official memorial ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Mr. Muhammad Baqir Al-Hakim, Al-Halbousi said, "The time has come to support the benevolent national forces to extricate Iraq from its ordeal and achieve the reform project by ridding itself of the remnants of terrorism and corruption whales ."
Al-Halbousi stressed the need to "present the honest strongman to occupy his position to achieve the desired reform," noting that "there are many ambitions that have not been realized ."
Al-Halbousi pointed out that "the current days are an important interval in the history of the political process with the approaching elections," warning at the same time that "the economic situation has become a threat to the citizen's livelihood."
Al-Nasiri: The 2021 budget is the budget of the Iraqi people, and its submission to political conflicts is enough
The economic and banking advisor, Samir al-Nasiri, confirmed, on Sunday, that the general budget for 2021 is the budget of the patient Iraqi people, which is supposed when prepared by the government and its allocations were distributed as investment and operational expenditures that serve the people and sustain the movement of the economic and social life of society.
Al-Nusiri said in an interview with "Al-Eqtisad News", that the general budget should not be subject to tensions, debates and political disputes between the political blocs of Parliament, indicating that it exceeds narrow partisan interests and that its discussions are not used to electoral advertisements and that the urgent needs of the people and the appointments of unemployed youth are not exploited. Work for the purpose of achieving special goals.
He added, the House of Representatives must quickly finish the budget discussions and make its observations, amendments and transfers in accordance with its powers stipulated in its internal system and quickly ratify it, because any delay in this will harm the national economy and harm the interests of the Iraqi people.
Al-Nusiri indicated that it is necessary to take into account the expectations of an improvement in oil prices during the coming months of 2021 at a rate ranging between (55 (60) dollars per barrel and raise the selling price fixed in the budget to a rate not less than (50) dollars per barrel, which will contribute to reducing the deficit planned in the draft budget. And it reduces the dependence on the internal borrowing from the central bank by a large percentage.
He called on the House of Representatives to focus in its discussions on activating new and effective programs to diversify sources of revenue, revitalize the agricultural sector, the industrial sector and the tourism sector, support and give a fundamental role to involve the private sector in making economic decisions, contribute to development and rebuild liberated cities, provide government support to private banks and motivate them to provide bank financing for small projects. Medium and strategic (infrastructure projects).
These are just other articles from today:
Iraq: An Iranian hotline with Al-Sadr, Al-Maliki and Al-Amiri to heal the rift in the Shiite wall
With the announcement of the coordination coordination for the demonstrations in Baghdad, the emergence of a youth political entity that would soon participate in the upcoming elections, Iran began an accelerated movement with the leaders of the Shiite forces to create a unified Shiite front in exchange for the October coordinators, which will constitute an important figure in the upcoming voting process.
A source in the State of Law coalition headed by Nuri al-Maliki revealed to (Akhbar Al-Khaleej) about contacts made by Iranian leaders with Nuri al-Maliki, Hadi al-Omari and Muqtada al-Sadr to bring their views closer after intense arguments floated to the surface between al-Maliki and al-Sadr.
The source indicated that the Iranian guide was informed of the depth of the differences between the Shiite forces, especially after the parade organized by Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters in Baghdad, which showed the weakness of other Shiite parties before Al-Sadr and his followers.
He pointed out that the Iranians are concerned about al-Sadr's departure from their control and his enjoyment of a wide popular base threatening or marginalizing the rest of the Shiite forces, hence Khamenei's personal interest and directed to open a hotline with the main leaders who dominate the Shiite movement.
The source also said that the commander of the Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, may visit Iraq in the coming days to hold a closed and urgent meeting with the heads of the Shiite forces and inform them of the Iranian Supreme Leader's orders of the necessity of unification.
However, the same source confirmed that Muqtada al-Sadr stipulated a basic condition for attending the meeting, which is that the Iranians provide him with guarantees that Nuri al-Maliki will not run for the presidency of the government that follows the upcoming elections.
Al-Sadr’s office revealed in a statement that Muqtada al-Sadr’s followers are estimated at five million Iraqis, which is a large number and has fundamental effects on the election results in which Iran’s followers fear the Sadrists ’superiority
Representative Finance: We have taken serious steps to move the wheel of the private sector and support investment
Today, Sunday, the Media Department of the House of Representatives announced that it will take serious steps to move the wheel of the private sector and support investment, while noting that this will contribute to providing job opportunities for the unemployed.
In a statement received by Mawazine News, the department said, “The Financial Committee, headed by the Chairman of the Committee, Representative Haitham Al-Jubouri, and the attendance of the members held its meeting No. (46) in which it resumed its discussions on the draft Federal Budget Law for 2021,” noting that it “received During the meeting, a number of parliamentary committees would discuss their requests and consider them. ”
She added, “At the beginning of the meeting, the Finance Committee discussed the additives before it, in which it focused on addressing the national economy and achieving comprehensive development targeting all economic and financial sectors, in addition to including urgent reform measures that maximize state resources and address the effects of the economic crisis left by the Corona pandemic.” .
The department continued, “The committee hosted the head of the Security and Defense Committee, MP Muhammad Reda Al Haidar, accompanied by a number of committee members to discuss the allocations of the ministries of defense and interior within the budget, as the Finance Committee confirmed that it supported the allocations of the two ministries and was careful not to prejudice them, despite the size of the crisis the country is going through. And the large deficit in the budget, based on its belief in the necessity of strengthening the military capabilities of the security forces at various levels to extend security and stability throughout the homeland.
The department confirmed that “the committee hosted a delegation from the Parliamentary Labor and Social Affairs Committee to discuss the budget allocations for the Ministry of Labor,” noting that “the committee clarified that it had provided the necessary allocations for the social care network, increasing the percentage of those included in it and the entitlements of people with disabilities, and giving them the highest priority.”
The department indicated that “the Finance Committee hosted the Economic and Investment Committee headed by Deputy Ahmed Al-Kinani and the presence of a number of committee members, accompanied by the General Director of the Industrial Bank, to discuss the banking situation in Iraq and support the private sector,” explaining that “the committee confirmed that the agricultural and industrial sectors are the focus of great interest in The committee, as articles were included in the draft budget that support the agricultural and industrial banks for the purpose of advancing these two important sectors and achieving major development in them.
The department explained that “the Financial Committee indicated that it has taken serious steps to move the wheel of the private sector, support investment and overcome obstacles before them, which will contribute to providing job opportunities for the unemployed and open the door to competition in the Iraqi market.”
A debate related to a legal solution that “forces” the Central Bank to re-price the dollar after “Parliament's silence” .. Will it work?
Citizens and shopkeepers in the Iraqi market began to get fed up with the issue of raising the exchange rate of the dollar and reducing the value of the Iraqi dinar opposite it, after its effects began to appear clearly, on the decline of purchasing activity and the complaints of shop owners about the decline in their income and the weakness of the purchasing movement by citizens.
The move to reduce the dinar and raise the dollar raised the prices of various materials, even those manufactured locally, which led to the reluctance of citizens to buy and make their purchases only for necessities.
Hence, the question arises about the possibility or ways to re-price the dollar, whether by political or legal means.
Either by political means or through the House of Representatives, the Parliamentary Finance, Economy and Investment Committee closed this section permanently, as a member of the Parliamentary Economic and Investment Committee, Salem Tahmir al-Tufayli, confirmed the fixation of the dollar exchange rate against the Iraqi dinar in the 2021 budget as sent by the government.
Tufayli said in a press statement, "The budget sent by the government is based on the exchange rate of 1450, and it has remained the same and has not undergone any change in the recent amendments."
He added, "The government wanted to put the House of Representatives in front of a fait accompli, which is fixing the price of the Iraqi dinar at a value of 1450 against the dollar, a decision that does not carry any economic justification." In the local market. ”
What about legal methods?
After closing the door on political or parliamentary interference to return or reduce the new dollar price, questions arise about the possibility of obtaining a new rescue outlet, represented by legal methods by filing a lawsuit against the Central Bank to re-quote.
The head of the Jurists Union in Diyala, Hussein Al-Taie, revealed the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the Central Bank to restore the exchange rate of the dollar to what it was, as Al-Taie said in a press statement followed by "Yass Iraq", that "determining the value of the exchange rate for the dollar against the dinar is one of the exclusive powers The Central Bank of Iraq, being responsible for the monetary policy in the country and the law according to its various contents, allows it to regulate and determine the exchange rate for economic requirements, whether its decision is correct or wrong, as it is the one who bears responsibility and is entitled to be questioned by Parliament as it is the highest legislative body in the country and has the right to control all institutions The state, including the financial one.
Al-Taie added, "It is not possible to file a lawsuit against the Central Bank to return the exchange rate of the dollar to what it was, because determining the price is an exclusive right of the bank, such as the exercise of a ministry or a specialized sectoral body concerned with its powers, meaning that the matter is related to the exclusive powers and it is the right of the central bank."
He pointed out that “the Iraqi judiciary intervenes through the existence of a case, and the latter must have a legal basis if it does not exist and is missing basically how will the judge rule,” noting that “even if it is lifted, the response of the Central Bank or its representative will have exercised its exclusive powers according to the law. He did not violate its provisions.
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