The Iraqi Agriculture Ministry has reportedly 'demanded' that the ministries of planning and finance increase the Palm General Authority's allocations from 4bn to 8bn IQD ($3.4m to $6.8m) to ensure the success of the annual plan for the development of palm groves. According to AKnews, Kamel Mukhlab, the director general of the authority, said they […]
Levels of violence fell last week amid the extensive security measures implemented for the Arab League Summit. Nonetheless, some attacks still took place, highlighting the fact that the measures at the disposal of the Iraqi authorities remain far from exhaustive. Normal patterns in militancy are also likely to resume once the security measures currently in […]
March was a significant month in many ways for Iraq, and for us here at Iraq Business News. Firstly, the country hosted the Arab League Summit in Baghdad at the end of the month, which, while it could have been better in some ways, was certainly a major profile-raiser for Iraq on the international stage. […]
Sources in Baghdad have told Iraq Business News that Exxon Mobil has decided to abandon its contract at the giant West Qurna-1 oilfield in Southern Iraq, in favour of pursuing its interests in Iraqi Kurdistan. In recent days the Iraqi Ministry for Oil has claimed to have received a second letter from Exxon in which […]
Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) has issued the following update on the ongoing legal battle with Excalibur Ventures: Further to the decision of the English Commercial Court in London, as detailed in the Company's announcement of 15 March 2012, a payment of £6,000,000 has been made into Court by Excalibur Ventures LLC ("Excalibur") as security for […]
The Iraqi government has awarded contracts worth $199 million to two construction companies to build 2,000 homes in the southern provinces of Thi Qar [Dhi Qar] and Muthanna, reports Bloomberg. Markez Inc., an Iraqi-American company incorporated in Maryland, but with no contact address on its website, secured a $139 million deal to build 1,000 homes […]
Thi Qar [Dhi Qar] Investment Commission has granted a new investment licence to build 850-housing units in Shatra, in the north of Nassiriya city. The project, to be implemented by an Iraqi company, will cost $150 million [180 billion Iraqi dinars]. Another housing complex with a costing $16.5 million, and a $15 million shopping mall […]
Iraq and Finland will sign a trade and economic agreement in the middle of April, reports AKnews. Trade Minister, Kherula Hassan, said a delegation from the Kurdistan Region will visit Finland later this month to strengthen trade between the two sides. A Finnish delegation visited the Kurdistan Region last year and declared Finland's intention to […]
Payment for wheat exports to Iraq in the late 1980s will finally be distributed to growers in Australia, according to a report from Weekly Times Now. Grain growers will share in about $48m in repayment of debt owed by Iraq relating to three wheat pools run by the former Australian Wheat Board, and affecting 52,000 […]
The Financial Times reports that Iraq’s central bank has tightened its clampdown on its sales of dollars, amid fears that buyers are using them to launder money and skirt international sanctions on neighbouring Iran and Syria. The bank unveiled new rules on Monday to force customers to prove their identities by supplying tax records and […]
Russian-based news agency RT interviews an anti-capitalist campaigner about the excalating tensions between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan: (Source: RT)
2011 was a good year for HSBC’s 70%-owned subsidiary Dar Es Salam Bank (BDSI). Full-year operating and pre-tax profit rose 921% and 877%, respectively, with almost all of this gain occurring in the second half. Year-end deposits and lending were up 70% and 81% over December, 2010. Operating profit came in at IQD 9.4 bn, […]
