KTFA
These reforms, which came after years of concentration and weak governance and banking infrastructure, seek to create a banking environment based on fair competition and the prevention of monopolies, instead of relying on privileges or currency auction interventions.
The Central Bank of Iraq has enlisted the help of specialized international consulting firms, most notably Oliver Wyman, to develop modern frameworks for governance, risk management, and bank restructuring, in order to ensure the standardization of criteria, raise the efficiency of boards of directors, and enhance compliance with international regulations.
This collaboration is seen as a key step towards breaking traditional business patterns and opening the way for more competitive banks to provide quality services.
The impact of these reforms is not limited to the banking sector alone, but extends directly to the Iraq Stock Exchange, where the banking sector constitutes the largest part of the number of listed companies and the market value of the trading volume.
With the implementation of new governance standards and the restructuring of some banks, investors, using brokerage and financial trading firms, are reassessing bank shares based on transparency and management strength, rather than size or connections. This is reflected in tangible changes in the number of shareholders, trading volumes, and daily trading values, as liquidity gradually shifts towards the most compliant and adaptable banks.
While these transformations may lead to short-term market volatility, in the medium term they are shaping a more mature financial market, one where monopolies diminish, stocks are priced according to actual performance, and the base of informed shareholders expands to attract investment from ordinary citizens.
Advertisement
______________________________________________________
Ultimately, the current banking reforms represent an opportunity to rebalance stability and competition, and to build a financial sector that supports both the national economy and the capital market. (LINK)
The Iraqi parliament’s leadership gives blocs 10 days to distribute their members among the committees.
1/5/2026
MP Mohammed Al-Baldawi, from the “Sadiqun” parliamentary bloc, stated on Monday that the meeting held by the Speaker of Parliament with the heads of political blocs, and the second session of Parliament, resulted in an agreement to grant ten days to the heads of blocs to distribute their members among the parliamentary committees.
Al-Baldawi told Shafaq News Agency that the number of parliamentary committees currently stands at 25, and some committees are expected to be split to bring the total to 27. These committees will be finalized after the distribution of representatives and their official adoption within Parliament.
He pointed out that the process of appointing the heads of the permanent parliamentary committees needs time until the new government is formed, taking into account parliamentary entitlement, indicating that the management of the committees will currently be based on the oldest members.
In a statement issued by the office of the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Adnan Faihan, the latter stressed the importance of expediting the submission of the names of candidates for the temporary committees, taking into account experience, competence and specialization, achieving a legal quorum during meetings, and giving priority to proposals and draft laws that touch the lives of citizens.
During the meeting, it was agreed to form a committee headed by the First Deputy and a number of heads of blocs to study the names of the candidates and decide on their distribution among the committees, in addition to an understanding to prepare a monthly agenda for the sessions of the House of Representatives, with the aim of developing the role of the legislative institution and enhancing its oversight work in the sixth parliamentary session.
On Monday morning, January 5, 2026, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hebat Al-Halbousi, opened the proceedings of session number (2) within the first legislative term of the first legislative year of the sixth e*******l cycle. (LINK)
Advertisement
______________________________________________________
Victorious parliamentary bloc: More than 141 laws awaiting legislation
1/5/2026 Baghdad – Wissam Al-Mulla –
The head of the Victorious parliamentary bloc, Faleh Al-Khazali, confirmed on Monday that more than 141 laws are awaiting legislation.
He also indicated that the parliament’s leadership has set a 10-day deadline for submitting the names of MPs to the committees.
Al-Khazali told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “the Speaker of Parliament held a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary blocs, where an agreement was reached on forming the parliamentary committees and distributing MPs according to their e*******l weight, their preferences, and their areas of expertise.” He explained that “the work of Parliament is legislative and oversight-oriented, and the stability of the committees will lead to efficient work.”
He added that “there are more than 141 laws awaiting legislation, based on Article 60, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, which stipulates that legislation can be submitted by 10 MPs or through parliamentary committees.” He clarified that “Parliament cannot function without functioning parliamentary committees.”
He stated that “the Parliament Presidency has set a period of 7-10 days to submit the names of the deputies to the committees,” noting that “the deputies will be distributed among the parliamentary committees, but the chairmanship of the committees will be with the oldest, and after the formation of the government, a vote will be held on the chairman of the committee, the deputy, and the rapporteur.” (LINK)
Government advisor: Fluctuations in the parallel dollar market are temporary and do not affect the stability of living standards.
1/5/2026
The economic advisor to the Prime Minister, Mazhar Muhammad Saleh, confirmed on Monday that the fluctuation in global oil prices is not directly related to the volatility of the parallel exchange market in Iraq, explaining that the monetary policy based on a fixed exchange rate supported by reserves exceeding $100 billion provides a strong stability umbrella for foreign currency.
Saleh told Al-Furat News Agency that “the limited fluctuations in the parallel market represent temporary and ineffective reactions that came in response to the launch of the latest fiscal discipline package, which included decisions to re-examine the paths of public spending and enhance the efficiency of revenues, especially through expanding and controlling tax and customs bases.”
He added that “these movements are a natural behavior for markets when they receive new signals from fiscal policy, as supply and demand forces tend to test these signals and adapt to them in stages, before returning to more stable paths that are in harmony with economic and financial fundamentals.”
He pointed out that “the current fluctuations in the parallel market do not reflect a structural imbalance in the exchange market, but rather a temporary adaptation phase with regulatory tools aimed at enhancing financial and monetary stability in the medium term.”
Saleh pointed out that “the limited movements observed in the parallel market do not affect the stability of the general price range, which has maintained a low inflation rate of about 2.5% annually, which reflects the effectiveness of the macroeconomic policy mix.”
Advertisement
______________________________________________________
He explained that stability is due to the convergence of three main policies:
Monetary policy: A fixed official exchange rate for the Iraqi dinar at 1320 dinars to the dollar.
Fiscal policy: Broad support amounting to about 13% of GDP, limits the transmission of price shocks to living standards.
Trade policy: Price defense through the subsidized food basket and the modern market system (hypermarkets), which absorbs the noise generated by the parallel market and turns it into stable white noise.
Saleh concluded by saying that “the parallel market no longer has a significant impact on daily life, after its effect became detached from income and consumption levels and its impact shifted mainly to the asset sector, which is not directly related to the stability of living or social peace.”
From… Ragheed (LINK)
Source: Dinar Recaps
______________________________________________________
If you wish to contact the author of a post, you can send us an email at voyagesoflight@gmail.com and we’ll forward your request to the author. If you have any questions about a post or the website, you may also forward your questions and concerns to the same email address.
______________________________________________________
All articles, videos, and images posted on Dinar Chronicles were submitted by readers and/or handpicked by the site itself for informational and/or entertainment purposes.
Dinar Chronicles is not a registered investment adviser, broker dealer, banker or currency dealer and as such, no information on the website should be construed as investment advice. We do not support, represent or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any content or communications posted on this site. Information posted on this site may or may not be fictitious. We do not intend to and are not providing financial, legal, tax, political or any other advice to readers of this website.
Copyright © Dinar Chronicles
