The banking sector and the new public

The past year, 2025, witnessed tireless activity at various levels in the pursuit of achieving the desired banking reform in Iraq.

On the one hand, the outgoing government made strenuous efforts to reform the state-owned banks, which included merging some banks and making the decision to split Al-Rafidain Bank into two banks. These measures were described as being part of the reform of the state-owned banking sector.

On the other hand, the Central Bank of Iraq, as the supervisory and regulatory body for the work of private (national) banks, played a pivotal role in advancing the reform of this sector, by taking important steps during 2025, the most prominent of which was bringing in the global company “Oliver Wyman”, which is one of the consulting companies specializing in the development of banking and financial systems.

This contract aims to elevate the private banking sector to meet international standards, especially since Iraq is about to enter a phase of developmental and reconstruction renaissance that requires a robust banking sector capable of meeting the needs of international companies wishing to invest in Iraq, after the wars and crises that the country has gone through that have deeply affected its economic structure.

Oliver Wyman established strict conditions and clear requirements for achieving banking reform, obligating banks to comply and emphasizing that those lagging behind or failing to comply could be forced out of the banking sector. These conditions included: increasing bank capital, encouraging bank mergers, and adhering to international standards for governance, solvency, and risk management.

According to the available data, most banks have responded to these requirements and agreed to bear the costs of consultations and repairs.

This raises a fundamental question commensurate with the scale of this response:

After the banks have fulfilled their obligations, what rights and facilities should they receive to enable them to provide banking services that meet the standards of international banks?

Banking experts believe that successful banking reform is a reciprocal process. After banks commit to the new standards, there is an urgent need for an incentive package to help them conduct their banking activities efficiently, especially since a large portion of banks are still subject to various sanctions.

These stimulus packages include financial and funding support, technical assistance and institutional capacity building, regulatory flexibility and a phased approach to implementing requirements, infrastructure and technological system reforms, and opportunities for growth and regional and international partnerships. The success of banking reform depends not only on enforcement but also on integrating obligations with rights and building a banking environment capable of supporting comprehensive economic development in Iraq.

Finally, reforming the banking sector in Iraq cannot be measured solely by the number of regulations or the stringency of the conditions, but rather by its ability to become a genuine engine for economic development. Banks that have responded to the reform requirements and complied with international standards, in turn, need a supportive regulatory environment and practical incentives that enable them to fulfill their natural role in financing, investment, and driving economic growth. Successful banking reform is a balanced partnership between the regulatory authority and the banks, based on the exchange of obligations and rights, a phased implementation, and addressing structural challenges, foremost among them sanctions, weak infrastructure, and limited financing tools. Without this, reform could transform from an opportunity for advancement into a burden that hinders the sector’s effectiveness.

With the start of a new year, the opportunity remains to build a modern, robust Iraqi banking sector that is integrated into the global financial system and capable of meeting the requirements of reconstruction and sustainable development, provided that the reform process is completed with a comprehensive vision that balances discipline and empowerment, and oversight and incentives, in a way that serves the national economy and enhances confidence in the banking system.

Alsabaah.iq

Sudani: We are in contact with Iran and America to find a platform for dialogue between them in Baghdad.

Outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed on Tuesday that Iraq is in contact with Iran and America to find a platform for dialogue between them in Baghdad, noting that the principle of restricting weapons to the state enjoys national consensus and has now become acceptable.

The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that Al-Sudani received, on Tuesday, the ambassadors of the European Union countries accredited to Iraq.

According to the statement, Al-Sudani said that the 2025 elections represented a turning point in the history of the political process in Iraq, due to the integrity and smoothness of its conduct, and the size of the active participation, which indicated the return of some of the people’s confidence in the political process and the democratic system based on the peaceful transfer of power.

He explained that the government has carried out important structural reforms in various sectors over the past three years, and has been able to attract Arab and foreign investments and provide an attractive environment for the work of the local and foreign private sector, indicating that the principle of restricting weapons to the state enjoys national consensus and has become acceptable and everyone accepts it, and the talk now is about the timing and mechanism, which represents a clear positive development.

Al-Sudani pointed out that the world is living in a state of instability and that there is an erosion of the international system based on laws and rules since World War II, adding that the return of the logic of force and wars and the imposition of the will of one party on others is very dangerous, and we are witnessing it today on a wide scale in more than one place.

Al-Sudani continued, saying that “the current internal and regional challenges call for the formation of a strong government capable of making decisions away from any internal or external dictates,” explaining that “the priority now is to prevent institutional decline in this complex regional and international situation.”

He added that “the Reconstruction and Development Coalition will be a key factor in the political landscape of the next phase, given the popular mandate it has received,” adding: “We are in contact with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the American administration in order to find a dialogue platform in Baghdad between Washington and Tehran.”

Al-Sudani pointed out that his country has made great strides in its relationship with the international coalition, as it has taken full control of the Ain al-Asad base, and the number of coalition advisors in Baghdad has been significantly reduced, with the mission at the Harir base in Erbil to be fully completed in September 2026,” stressing that “Iraq will remain an active partner in the international coalition to fight ISIS, and our coordination continues in the fight against ISIS.”

He also stressed that Syria is experiencing an unstable situation, and we are concerned about the growing presence of ISIS elements and other extremist groups currently inside prisons, pointing to the importance of a transparent political process in Syria that includes everyone, and real steps and procedures to reassure all Syrian components by rejecting terrorism and extremism and respecting human rights.

Al-Sudani also said that “Iraq views Syria and its stability as a very important national and regional priority,” noting that “a stable and unified Syria in which all its components coexist in peace is a fundamental guarantee for the security of the region, and that Iraqi society is cohesive, our security forces are ready and able to impose security, and our borders are secure.”

According to the Prime Minister, the border security measures were taken two years ago based on an advanced reading of events in Syria, indicating that security in Syria requires collective responsibility and real international cooperation, and our position is firm in the immediate cessation of bloodshed in Gaza, stopping the violations in Lebanon, and ending the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Shafaq.com

Head of the Integrity Commission: Our goal is to support investors and protect them from extortion.

The head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Mohammed Ali Al-Lami, affirmed on Tuesday that one of our main objectives is to support investors and protect them from extortion. A statement from the commission indicated that “the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Mohammed Ali Al-Lami, discussed during a meeting with a representative of the World Bank mission ways to enhance transparency standards in contracts and projects funded by the World Bank.”

Al-Lami added that “Iraq has joined all international and regional initiatives aimed at confronting corruption and reducing its avenues,” while stressing that “one of the main objectives of the commission is to prevent corruption before it occurs and to support investors and protect them from extortion.”

In contrast, the representative of the World Bank mission noted “the benefit to international bodies from the Commission’s experience in the Iraqi Academy for Combating Corruption.”

Burathanews.com

Six measures to protect gold and regulate its market: Mazhar Saleh explains Iraq’s vision for national wealth.

The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Saleh, outlined six key measures on Monday to regulate the gold market, noting that the Gold City project is a strategic initiative to protect one of the nation’s greatest assets.
Saleh said in a press statement: “The global rise in gold prices has not led to a decline in demand for it in the local market, but rather has contributed to changing its function from an ‘ornamental commodity’ to a ‘savings tool and protection of value,’ stressing the ‘need to adopt a unified national mark and the obligation of modern technical examination to protect household savings.’”

He added that “this functional transformation of the yellow metal makes quality control and government oversight an urgent economic and social necessity, as it protects families’ wealth and enhances confidence in the market,” indicating that “quick and low-cost procedures, such as the unified national marking and rapid technical inspection, represent sufficient means to restore discipline and reduce manipulation.”

Saleh pointed out that “gold remains a symbol of family security and savings for generations in the Iraqi social memory, and with rising prices, it has become part of the tools of unofficial monetary policy, as it is a store of value parallel to the dinar,” noting that “regulating the market is not a formal procedure, but rather a basic condition for building confidence and protecting national wealth.”

Saleh called for “a comprehensive reform of the gold market system, through the adoption of a unified and mandatory Iraqi mark that includes (carat, testing authority, and year of mark), while criminalizing the trading of unmarked gold,” stressing “the importance of strengthening oversight through field testing using modern technologies such as (XRF), which reveals the truth about gold immediately without causing any damage to the pieces.”

The financial advisor added that “the next stage requires regulating gold smelting and import operations through workshop licensing and tightening border inspection, as well as establishing a national register for gold traders and adopting unified official invoices to reduce undocumented trading,” noting that “empowering the consumer through awareness campaigns and effective reporting mechanisms represents a fundamental pillar in this system.”

Saleh concluded his remarks by saying: “The institutional completion of the ‘City of Gold’ project has become an urgent necessity, as it represents the official incubator for protecting this great national wealth and providing the highest standards of legal and professional protection for it.”

Alforatnews.iq

Trump’s envoy: Pursuing militias and strengthening Iraq’s security is a US priority

Mark Savaya, President Donald Trump’s envoy to Iraq, affirmed on Monday his commitment to pursuing “militias” and enhancing Iraq’s security and stability.

Savaya said in a statement posted on his X account that he had a “very successful” meeting with Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, and Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (@ODNIgov), during which a range of critical issues related to matters he had previously raised were discussed.

Savaya explained that the discussions included the role of Iranian-backed militias and their associated networks, stressing the importance of maintaining and building upon the Iraqi government’s efforts over the past year, particularly in securing the borders, combating smuggling and corruption, and strengthening state authority.

He affirmed that, “under the leadership of President Donald Trump,” he is fully committed to uncovering and prosecuting any violations wherever they occur, and to working to achieve stability in Iraq and ensure its security, in a way that serves Iraq’s sovereignty and the well-being of the Iraqi people.

Savaya concluded by saying, “The Iraqi people will make Iraq great again.”

Shafaq.com

Central Bank of Iraq: Currency in circulation rises to more than 93 trillion dinars

The Central Bank of Iraq revealed on Monday that the volume of currency in circulation rose to more than 93 trillion dinars during October of 2025.

The bank stated, in statistics seen by Shafaq News Agency, that the net currency in circulation reached 93.789 trillion dinars in October, an increase compared to September, in which the net currency in circulation recorded 92.185 trillion dinars.

He added that the volume of currency issued by the Central Bank amounted to 101.015 trillion dinars, while the currency in circulation at banks amounted to 7.226 trillion dinars.

He pointed out that the issued currency is the money that the state prints and issues through its central bank for the purpose of circulation, and it includes banknotes of various paper and metal denominations circulating outside the vaults of the central bank.

The bank explained that the high volume of currency in circulation and its scarcity in banks means that citizens resort to hoarding money instead of depositing it in banks, which is an unhealthy phenomenon.

It is worth noting that the Central Bank of Iraq revealed last Saturday that expenditures had increased compared to public revenues during the first 10 months of 2025.

Shafaq.com

Sudani’s ministerial “gains” revealed; politician: Maliki to head government

A source within the coordinating framework that brings together the ruling Shiite political forces in Iraq revealed on Monday that the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, was given the largest share of ministries. Meanwhile, a politician close to the framework confirmed that the nomination of former Prime Minister and leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, as head of the next government will be decided at the framework’s next meeting.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the Reconstruction and Development Coalition will be granted five ministries with an independent body in accordance with their parliamentary and political weight, including the ministries of oil, industry and minerals, labor and social affairs, in addition to the Baghdad Investment Authority.”

The source added that “the Ministry of Finance will be allocated to the Kurds, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will go to the Wisdom Movement, the Ministry of Education will be allocated to the Sadiqun Bloc, while the Badr Bloc will have the Ministry of Interior, and understandings will continue regarding the distribution of other independent bodies according to political and electoral entitlement.”

In addition, Abu Mithaq al-Masari, a politician close to the coordinating framework, confirmed that “the issue of naming al-Maliki as head of the next government is almost settled by agreement of the majority, and it is hoped that this will be officially announced.”

Al-Masari told Shafaq News Agency that “the majority of the framework’s leaders support the nomination of Maliki as Prime Minister, but the latter aspires to obtain the position unanimously, that is, without objection from any party.”

He added that “the upcoming coordination framework meeting may lead to the announcement of the identity of the next prime minister.”

The leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, visited the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, to discuss issues related to the mechanism for deciding on the framework’s candidate for prime minister. Al-Hakim stressed “the unity of the coordinating framework and strengthening it as one of the pillars of stability in the country,” which is the same topic that was discussed in the meeting between al-Hakim and the outgoing Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, according to statements from al-Hakim’s office on Sunday evening.

The leaders of the Coordination Framework were supposed to hold an “important and crucial” meeting last Saturday to discuss the disagreements over the nomination of Maliki for a third term, after objections were raised by Ammar al-Hakim and the Secretary-General of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais al-Khazali, with reservations from the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, but the meeting did not take place.

An informed source told Shafaq News Agency that the postponement of the meeting was due to the fact that “some of the influential forces within the framework (the Wisdom Movement and Sadiqun) refuse to pass any candidate except by agreement and consensus, with the condition of the availability of the agreed controls, the most important of which is imposing the rule of balance inside and outside, meaning that he should not be a controversial figure.”

Despite this, the source confirmed that “the forces of the Coordination Framework have enough time to choose their candidate for the premiership, i.e., 15 days after the President of the Republic has named them. Therefore, they have enough time to choose their candidate with the agreement of all its parties, otherwise we will go to the vote within the framework to choose the one who meets the conditions.”

Since the ratification of the election results held in November 2025, the Coordination Framework has begun holding meetings and discussions among its members and with other parties to decide on the position of Prime Minister, which is allocated to the Shiite component according to the custom established after 2003.

Shafaq.com

The Securities Authority announces the launch of its 2026-2028 strategy to develop and enhance investment.

The Securities Commission announced on Monday the launch of a strategy for the years 2026-2028 to develop the capital market and enhance investment. The head of the Securities Commission, Faisal Al-Haimas, stated in a statement that “the Securities Commission’s strategy for the years 2026-2028 has been launched, which aims to develop the Iraqi capital market and enhance its efficiency, in a way that contributes to supporting the national economy and creating a stable and safe investment environment in line with international standards and best practices.”

He also explained that “the strategy focuses on completing the legislative and regulatory structure of the securities market, foremost among which is following up on the approval of the permanent securities law, which will allow for expanding the horizons of investment in stocks, bonds and other investment instruments included in the draft law.”

He also pointed out that “the Authority is working to enhance its international standing by fulfilling the requirements for signing a memorandum of understanding with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in preparation for moving from associate membership to full membership, and in a way that ensures compliance with international regulatory and supervisory standards.”

The head of the authority added that “the strategy includes attracting foreign brokerage firms and their clients through the exchange platform affiliated with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange by granting the necessary licenses to enter the Iraqi market and completing the technical linkage procedures with the trading and clearing systems, in addition to preparing clear regulatory and procedural guidelines that ensure compliance and quality of operations.”

He added that “the Authority seeks to open up to global securities and commodities markets by granting licenses to local brokers for foreign trading based on the provisions of Regulatory Regulation No. (35) of 2025, which enhances the diversity of investment instruments and raises the efficiency of the market.”

He emphasized that “the strategy pays special attention to digital transformation by adopting electronic signatures in the transactions of the Authority, the market and licensed companies, which contributes to simplifying procedures and improving the quality of oversight, as well as completing the launch of the custodian activity by following up on the technical requirements and granting the necessary licenses to foreign banks.”

He explained that “the strategy includes developing trading, clearing and electronic monitoring systems and enhancing cooperation with the Central Bank of Iraq to list all financial and banking shareholding companies and with the Ministry of Finance / Insurance Bureau to list insurance sector companies.”

The head of the authority pointed out “the importance of monitoring companies’ commitment to implementing the corporate governance guide, given its impact on raising the level of institutional performance and enhancing investor confidence, in addition to aligning the authority’s objectives with national economic visions and programs aimed at diversifying income sources and increasing revenues.”

He concluded by saying, “We emphasize the continuation of intensive media and awareness campaigns to establish a conscious investment culture and enhance public confidence in the Iraqi stock market, which supports the paths of economic reform and sustainable development.”

Burathanews.com

The Minister of Finance discusses the restructuring of Rafidain and Rasheed banks and the insurance sector.

Finance Minister Taif Sami discussed on Sunday (January 18, 2026) the restructuring of the Rafidain and Rasheed banks in accordance with the recommendations of the advisory body, and discussed procedures for establishing the “First Rafidain Bank” and updating the financial information infrastructure in Iraq.

A statement from the Ministry of Finance said that Sami “chaired an extensive meeting at the Ministry headquarters with representatives of the international consulting and auditing firm (Ernst & Young), in the presence of the advisor and a number of general managers in the Ministry and government banks, to discuss the practical steps aimed at implementing the comprehensive reform plan for financial institutions.”

According to the statement, the meeting witnessed “a discussion of the insurance sector restructuring file, through following up on the remaining stages of merging the National and Iraqi Insurance Companies within the specified timeframes, with a focus on strengthening governance and adopting international financial reporting standards to raise the efficiency of financial performance in line with the requirements of the global market.”

He added, “The meeting also addressed the restructuring of the Industrial Bank and the move towards contracting with a specialized consulting firm in this regard, in conjunction with the projects for automating financial systems and comprehensive digital transformation, through which the ministry aims to improve operational efficiency and reduce the time spent on transactions.”

During the meeting, the Minister of Finance affirmed that “the Ministry is moving forward, according to specific timetables, to translate the government program into tangible reality, stressing the importance of strengthening partnerships with global consulting institutions to ensure that national procedures comply with sound international standards.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister of Finance stressed the importance of continued cooperation with the international company to overcome technical challenges and train national cadres, in order to ensure the sustainability of structural reform. Representatives of Ernst & Young praised the serious steps taken by the Ministry to modernize financial institutions, stressing their continued technical support for developing auditing and banking processes in a way that serves the stability of the Iraqi economy.

Burathanews.com

Iraq’s central bank’s foreign currency reserves have decreased.

The Central Bank of Iraq announced on Wednesday that its foreign currency reserves had decreased at the end of October of last year.

The bank said in an official statistic seen by Shafaq News Agency that “foreign currency reserves at the Central Bank as of October 31 of last year amounted to $97.582 billion, or the equivalent of 126.857 trillion dinars,” indicating that it decreased compared to September, in which these reserves amounted to $98.155 billion, or the equivalent of 127.601 trillion dinars.

He added that these reserves have increased compared to August of last year, when they amounted to $94.641 billion, equivalent to 123.033 trillion dinars.

The bank noted that reserves also decreased compared to 2024, when they amounted to $100.267 billion, or the equivalent of 130.347 trillion dinars, and also recorded a decrease compared to 2023, when reserves amounted to $111.736 billion, or the equivalent of 145.257 trillion dinars.

Shafaq.com