INTRODUCTION This report summarizes key findings and recommendations from a remote technical assistance (TA) assignment performed by a short-term expert (STX), Mr. Djamel Bouhabel, from January 17 to February 4, 2021, to the General Customs Authority of Iraq (GCA). The main objective of the TA was to advise GCA on the development and effective application of customs assess
Read More
The ongoing discourse on Iraq’s 2021 draft Federal Budget raises concerns. The draft has been substantially revised by the Parliament’s Financial Committee in a way that would keep Iraq within its current “business as usual” status and neglect the long-time needed reforms. In particular, there is no indication that the Financial Committee has introduced any structural changes o
Read More
In-Depth Research & Reports by Ahmed Tabaqchali The Iraqi government plans to respond to the financial crises in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing the root causes of Iraq’s vulnerability to external shocks. The government has laid out a plan, known as the White Paper, which aims to fix the fault lines of the economy and by extension, the political sys
Read More
Despite the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) agreeing a deal over its 2021 budget on December 20, the road to parliamentary approval may be bumpy, market participants told Debtwire. “Parliament has yet to approve [the budget], there is significant opposition to the KRG provisions there and so the deal could be held up, delayed or not implemented
Read More
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Ali Allawi held a brief press conference that painted a sobering picture about Iraq’s current financial situation. The presser came after an extraordinary cabinet meeting that debated Iraq’s strategy to face the current financial crisis and the measures to combat it, focusing largely on public sector reform and the development of
Read More