Article: “The gap is widening… Why do Iraqis prefer money exchange over banks?” Quote: “Money exchange and transfer offices in Iraq have witnessed a remarkable expansion in recent years…in contrast to a relative decline in reliance on government banks… According to experts, this expansion reflects a continuing gap between the citizen and the official banking system, related to the speed of completing transactions and ease of access to services, compared to traditional banking procedures that are still characterized by bureaucracy, overcrowding and a long completion time in some cases.” :Clare
