Al-Sudani: Population census establishes a new Iraq
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed, on Wednesday, the accuracy and integrity of the population census procedures.
A statement from his media office received by Al-Maalouma Agency stated that “Al-Sudani visited the Ministry of Planning to review the progress of the implementation of the general population and housing census throughout Iraq, on its first day, under the supervision of the Ministry’s Statistics and Geographic Information Systems Authority.”
Al-Sudani congratulated the Iraqi people on the census day, which is being implemented in a comprehensive manner, after it had been suspended for decades, appreciating the role of the workers in the Federal Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Planning in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the statistical agencies in Baghdad and the region, and the role of the ministries, supporting bodies, ministers and governors. He also appreciated the efforts of the United Nations mission and its continuity in completing the census.
He praised “the religious authorities and institutions of all sects, and all social activities, for their efforts in urging citizens to contribute to the success of the census, and raising awareness of its importance.”
He added: “This day will establish a new Iraq based on accurate analysis and data that will help decision-makers in developing economic, service, social, and even political development plans and programs.”
He explained that “the government, by conducting the population census, not only accomplished an entitlement that had been suspended for years, but the procedure was carried out using work mechanisms that were being implemented for the first time, using technological means and modern methods that shortened the effort and costs, and provided reliability in the results, stressing the integrity and accuracy of the data analysis procedures, and pointing to the cancellation of the sectarian and nationality field, because the process is a development census and not a census.”
He expressed his “thanks to the citizens for their response, and urged them to cooperate and be a supportive factor for the census teams to make this national project a success. He also directed the employees of the ministry to continue with the same determination and accuracy to complete the census process until the results are announced.”
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Central Bank of Iraq sales exceed $6 billion in a month
The Central Bank of Iraq’s sales from the hard currency auction of the US dollar during October amounted to more than 6 billion dollars.
Shafaq News Agency correspondent stated that the Central Bank sold, during the days in which it opened its auction for buying and selling the US dollar in October, 6 billion, 38 million, 229 thousand, and 179 dollars, at a daily rate of 274 million, 464 thousand, and 962 dollars.
Our correspondent added that foreign remittance sales last month amounted to $5 billion, 672 million, 463 thousand, and 159, an increase of 94% compared to cash sales, which amounted to $365 million, 766 thousand, and 20.
Our correspondent pointed out that these sales were distributed between transfers abroad to finance foreign trade, and cash sales to banks, where the selling price of documentary credits and international settlements for electronic cards reached 1310 dinars per dollar, while the selling price of transfers abroad and the cash selling price reached 1305 dinars per dollar.
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How Will The Census Reflect On Drawing The Economic Map Of Iraq? An Expert Answers
An economic expert stressed the importance of the general population census in Iraq for the benefits it provides in planning the economic and social sectors.
“Iraq has a long experience in general population censuses, as the first census was in 1920 and the last comprehensive and integrated census was in 1987. During the last 37 years, no population census was conducted and the data was limited to estimates.
Today, it is gaining great importance that develops with time, as it is pivotal for economic and political decision-makers, detailed and accurate databases, population databases on age groups, and analysis of variables in population distribution, and the diversity, comprehensiveness and accuracy of data help decision-makers in drawing up paths for sound economic and social development plans and determining the supply of public goods and services.”
He added, “Census data helps in sector planning, meaning that this economic and social practice includes a package of benefits distributed to the government from the public sector, establishments and individuals, and the private sector benefits by knowing the possibility of future demand for goods and services and diagnosing the transformation in individuals’ assets, their income level and sources, and other important variables.”
Al Marsoumi explained: “We also benefit from the census by knowing the size and details of the public commodity in the future, and we learn important economic information, including the housing market and sound economic decisions. The government benefits from its results in drawing important economic and social policies in the future by providing a reliable, high-precision database, unlike what is currently being used, which is drawing estimated data based on hypothetical projections.”
The general population census process began this Wednesday morning, with a curfew imposed throughout Iraq, which began at 12 midnight last night and will continue until next Friday. From.. Raghad
Government Advisor: Population Census Is An Essential Tool For Building Effective Strategic Economic Plans
The financial advisor to the Prime Minister, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, considered the population census “an essential tool for building effective strategic economic plans and achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.”
Saleh told Al Furat News Agency that “by providing accurate data, the census helps improve the management of the country’s material and financial resources, support development funds, and strengthen the national economy in a way that achieves the well-being of society.”
He explained, “It can be said that the comprehensive population census leads to direct results, most notably: improving financing programs, i.e. census data provides a clear view of the population’s needs, which contributes to designing financing programs that support small and medium enterprises and enhance local economic growth, as well as strengthening international partnerships, as the population census leads to strengthening these partnerships through the availability of reliable data from the population census that supports requests for financing and assistance from international bodies, such as the World Bank, regional development funds, and other funds associated with multilateral international financial institutions.”
The general population census process began this Wednesday morning, with a curfew imposed throughout Iraq, which began at 12 midnight last night and will continue until next Friday.
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The Future Of International Trade Transactions In US Dollars In Iraq
The US dollar is the first global currency for foreign trade transactions between countries of the world. It constitutes 80% of the volume of international financial transactions and represents about 60% of international reserve currencies. The dollar is the only currency that accommodates large financial transactions in the oil and energy sector and global oil trades amounting to 100 million barrels in addition to other commodities. Other currencies constitute about (20%-25%).
The dollar plays a fundamental role in the control of the American economy over the global economy in various fields, and many countries tried to get rid of the dominance of the US dollar in previous periods, but they could not. Therefore, the BRICS group was established, and its member states, namely China, Brazil, India and South Africa, are trying to limit the dominance of the dollar in international commercial and banking transactions, and the number of countries in it has now become about 9 countries.
After several countries joined, including Arab countries such as Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Ethiopia and Iran in 2024, and its main goals are to limit the dominance of the dollar in global trade, cooperation between the tax and customs authorities of the group’s countries, and to reach the creation of a new currency for use among the group’s countries.
Iraq, with the aim of reorganizing foreign trade financing, began concluding agreements with central banks with which Iraq has extensive trade exchange, in agreement with solid correspondent banks in China, India, the Emirates and Turkey, to deal in Chinese yuan, Indian rupee, Emirati dirham and Turkish lira, to achieve two goals:
the first is to enable our banks to agree with correspondent banks in these countries and other countries to deal directly with them after canceling the electronic platform, and
the second is to introduce new foreign currencies for commercial and banking transactions other than the US dollar, to enable banks that do not have US correspondent banks to continue their foreign transfers with those alternative countries according to special agreements with their central banks.
This can help control the reduction in the widespread local demand for the US dollar, create a state of balance in the money market, and maintain the purchasing power of the local currency, the Iraqi dinar. This method is now in effect, in addition to the existence of dealings in the US dollar as well.
