Archive | Iraq Banking & Finance News

Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraq banking & finance news, with information on developments and opportunities.

New Easy-Payment Scheme for Iraqi State Employees

By John Lee. Iraq's General Company for Building Materials Trading has launched a direct sales and instalment scheme under an initiative called "Al-Taaoun lil-Insha'iya" (Cooperation for Construction), allowing state employees and retirees to purchase building materials, furniture, and household electrical appliances on instalment terms of up to 15 months, with no guarantor or down payment […]

IBPL Welcomes Banking Update, Expects Stable Dinar

By John Lee. The Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL) has welcomed the recent announcement that seven Iraqi private banks are to regain access to foreign currency correspondent banking channels (excluding the US dollar). The announcement followed high-level talks between the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and officials at the US Treasury. An IBPL statement described […]

Iraq Opens Door to Foreign Bank Branches for Investment Finance

By John Lee. The opening of foreign bank branches in Iraq will help fund investment projects, ease banking operations for foreign companies, expand financing channels, and transfer modern banking expertise, according to Finance Minister Faleh Sari. Sari made the remarks following a meeting between a government delegation led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and representatives […]

10 Key Takeaways from PM Al-Zaidi's Washington Visit

By Guest Blogger. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 1. A historic volume of agreements - 48 in total A total of 48 agreements, memoranda of understanding, cooperation agreements and partnership declarations were signed between public and private sector entities in Iraq […]

Iraqi Banks Set for Return to International Correspondent Channels

By John Lee. Seven Iraqi banks have been cleared to re-enter non-dollar international correspondent banking channels, following high-level meetings between the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and officials at the US Treasury. The meetings followed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's official visit to the United States and his meeting with the US President. […]

Iraq-IMF Talks on Economic Reform and Diversification

By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Washington on Saturday to discuss Iraq's economic outlook and the prospects for cooperation between the two parties. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), talks covered economic and financial reform policies, efforts to achieve sustainable growth, […]

World Bank Offer of Technical Support to Iraq

By John Lee. Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga in Washington. The delegation accompanying Banga included Makhtar Diop, President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and senior World Bank officials. According to the Prime Minister's Office, al-Zaidi highlighted the government's focus on banking sector reform and programme […]

$916m CBI Initiative Targets Education and Veterinary Medicine

By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reportedly launched a lending initiative worth IQD 1.2 trillion (USD 916 million) to support education and veterinary medicine, and to strengthen liquidity in the banking sector. According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the initiative is based on Central Bank Law No. 56 of […]

PM Meets Iraqi-American Business Community in Washington

By John Lee. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met with representatives of the Iraqi Christian diaspora and Iraqi-American business figures from Michigan at the start of his visit to Washington DC. According to the Prime Minister's Office, discussions covered the situation of the Iraqi diaspora community and prospects for increasing their participation in investment and […]