The financial advisor to the Prime Minister, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, identified on Monday the indicators of the rise in oil prices in global markets, and while he attributed them to two basic variables, he indicated that if tensions and war continue in the region, a jump in prices is expected.

Saleh said in a statement reported by the official news agency, and reviewed by “Al-Eqtisad News”, that “the oil asset cycle is subject to accelerated upward volatility through current energy market indicators and two basic variables that affect oil supply and demand in the world: the first is OPEC+ decisions to reduce oil production on the production of OPEC countries themselves and their allies, as OPEC+ has currently implemented significant oil production cuts amounting to 5.86 million barrels per day.”

He added, “These cuts consist of two parts: the first is a reduction of 3.66 million barrels per day extended until the end of 2025, and the other is an additional voluntary reduction of 2.2 million barrels per day that remains in effect until September 2024.”

He pointed out that “the cuts come to remove the current oil glut, which is affected by the decline in growth in the world’s most important energy-consuming economies, China,” noting that “the second variable is the geopolitical situation and the war taking place in the two energy basin regions of the world, namely the Russian-Ukrainian war and the other is the ongoing war in the Middle East, especially the Gaza and Lebanon war with the Zionist entity and its effects on the oil-producing Gulf region, which dominates more than 50% of global oil exports.”

He continued, “If military operations or geopolitical tensions continue in the two regions, oil prices are expected to jump.”

About 250 thousand barrels per day.. Iraq’s oil exports to America increase within a week

 The US Energy Information Administration announced today, Sunday, that Iraq’s oil exports to America increased during the past week.

The administration said in a table that “the average US imports of crude oil during the past week from 10 major countries amounted to 5.305 million barrels per day, down by 439 thousand barrels per day from the previous week, which amounted to 5.744 million barrels per day.”

She added that “Iraq’s oil exports to America amounted to 241 thousand barrels per day last week, an increase of 89 thousand barrels per day from the previous week, which amounted to 152 thousand barrels per day.”

The administration also indicated that “the largest oil revenues for America during the past week came from Canada at a rate of 3.499 million barrels per day, followed by Mexico at an average of 382 thousand barrels per day, followed by Venezuela at an average of 315 thousand barrels per day, and from Saudi Arabia at an average of 285 thousand barrels per day.”

According to the table, “the amount of US imports of crude oil from Ecuador was 228 thousand barrels per day, from Colombia it was 149 thousand barrels per day, from Brazil it was 134 thousand barrels per day, from Nigeria it was 44 thousand barrels per day, and from Libya it was 28 thousand barrels per day.”

 More Than $257 Million.. Central Bank Sales Through The Electronic Window

 The Central Bank of Iraq announced, on Monday, its total sales of foreign currency through the electronic window.

The window recorded $ 257,464,050, the total amounts of transfers abroad (remittances, credits), while the total cash sales amounted to $ 8,500,000, and the total sales amounted to $ 265,964,050.

The selling price for transfers and cash was assigned at 1310 dinars per dollar, while the bond credits and international settlements for the electronic card were at 1305 dinars.

Minister Of Interior Calculates The Amount Of Revenues During The Year 2023

The Parliamentary Finance Committee stressed, on Monday, the importance of forming a committee to study non-oil revenues and monitor their distribution, while Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari indicated that the total revenues for 2023 amounted to 757 billion dinars, which were returned to the state treasury.

The committee said in a statement, seen by “Al-Eqtisad News”, that it “hosted, headed by Atwan Al-Atwani, and in the presence of its members and a number of members of other parliamentary committees, the Minister of Interior, Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, and his accompanying delegation, at the committee’s headquarters to discuss issues related to maximizing revenues and mechanisms for improving the provision of services to citizens.”

Al-Atwani welcomed the Minister of Interior, noting that “the Finance Committee works according to the principle of joint integration to support the government.”

He stressed the “need for solidarity in studying the financial and economic situation and pointed out that reliance on oil as a primary resource does not achieve the financial stability required to achieve sustainable development.”

The committee stressed the “importance of forming a committee to study non-oil revenues and monitor their distribution, in addition to analyzing the state’s assets and studying their financial statements. The issue of those whose contracts were terminated and the transfer of beneficiaries of the social protection salary to the ministry to benefit from their services was also addressed.”

For his part, the Minister of Interior appreciated the efforts of the Finance Committee and the parliamentary committees in supporting the ministry and the government, explaining that “the ministry has received the security file for a number of governorates and is continuing to work on receiving the rest of the governorates, according to the government program.”

He provided an explanation of the ministry’s plan to maximize non-oil revenues, noting that “total revenues for 2023 amounted to 757 billion dinars, which were returned to the state treasury.”

Discussions between the committee members and the Minister touched on many of the Ministry’s issues, including the services of issuing electronic passports and unified cards, the revenues of the Ministry’s fund and other departments, the importance of electronic automation and functional intersection, in addition to discussing the issue of residential complexes.

The committee also inquired about the criteria for distributing job grades according to governorates, stressing the “need for coordination and work to complete the 2025 budget schedules on time.”

Parliamentary Economy Committee Discusses With The Central Bank Of Iraq The Reality Of Banks And The Problems Facing The Sector

The Economy, Industry and Trade Committee, headed by MP Ahmed Salim Al-Kanani, discussed today, Monday, with the Director General of Investment and the Director General of Banks at the Central Bank, the problems facing the banking sector in Iraq.

The media department of the House of Representatives stated in a statement received by “Al-Eqtisad News” that “the Economy, Industry and Trade Committee, headed by MP Ahmed Salim Al-Kanani and attended by its members, hosted the Director General of Investment and the Director General of Banks at the Central Bank.”

During the meeting, the reality of banks, the most prominent problems facing the Iraqi banking sector, and ways to find effective solutions to them were discussed.

Finance: Automation Plays A Vital Role In Reducing Financial And Administrative Corruption

Baghdad  Finance Minister Taif Sami confirmed on Monday that automation plays a vital role in reducing corruption and financial loss.

The ministry said in a statement received by Mawazine News that “Finance Minister Taif Sami met with the Strategic Planning and Federal Service Committee, and important issues related to following up on the government program implemented in the various formations of the ministry were discussed, in addition to following up on mechanisms for developing institutional performance and activating automation systems in sectors related to the ministry’s work and developing banking work in accordance with the comprehensive banking system and applying it in all banks in a way that ensures simplifying account opening procedures as well as transfer operations, and represents a step towards moving from paper transactions to electronic ones to provide the best services to citizens.”

The statement added that “Sami reviewed during the meeting the measures taken to improve the efficiency of work at customs ports, enhance revenues and facilitate the movement of goods,” noting that “automation plays a vital role in reducing corruption and reducing financial loss, in addition to the electronic payment system (pos) as a step to accelerate the completion of transactions, reduce financial and administrative corruption, save a lot of time and effort, and implement the unified treasury account project, which represents a qualitative leap in the management of public funds in order to keep pace with financial and economic progress.”

Sami continued, according to the statement, that “the ministry has reached advanced stages in automating taxes in coordination with the Supreme Committee for Tax Reform, which ensures improving efficiency, reducing errors, enhancing transparency and ensuring tax compliance, which has contributed to increasing government revenues and improving services provided to citizens.”

The statement added that “the retirement sector and the most important steps taken to facilitate and simplify salary disbursement procedures and ensure the provision of services in a faster and more transparent manner were highlighted,” indicating that “the Minister called on the advanced cadres to implement the remaining reforms in accordance with the government program to improve administrative and financial performance in federal institutions,” adding that “the meeting addressed the aspect of combating corruption, as the Ministry has made great strides in this aspect through the use of modern methods, systems and advanced electronic programs to reduce this scourge.”

He pointed out that “the mechanisms for developing human cadres in various sectors were addressed, by providing the necessary training and qualification to enhance the capabilities of employees and achieve the highest levels of performance.”

The Minister of Finance stressed “the importance of cooperation between government agencies to ensure the achievement of national goals and drive economic and social development.”

For her part, the head of the Parliamentary Planning Committee praised “the Ministry’s performance in implementing the paragraphs of the government program and its great role in developing the financial sector and maximizing budget revenues through advanced and modern programs.”

The meeting was attended by the head and members of the Sovereign Strategic Planning Committee, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and the general managers of all the Ministry’s formations,” according to the statement.