Clare: US Treasury: Supporters of Al-Sudani’s Reform Agenda
The US Treasury Department confirmed, on Tuesday, its support for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s reform agenda.
The ministry said in a statement, seen by “Al-Eqtisad News”, that “Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Wali Adeyemo, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss reforming the Iraqi banking sector, financial relations with the United States, and combating illicit financing.”
The statement added, “The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury congratulated Al-Sudani on the great progress Iraq has made in reforming the banking sector, which has led to expanding Iraq’s international financial connectivity and increasing financial inclusion.”
According to the Treasury statement, Adeyemo affirmed “Treasury’s support for the Central Bank of Iraq and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s reform agenda.”
The Deputy Treasury Secretary praised the growth of the non-oil economy in Iraq by 6.0 percent, asking about “the steps the Prime Minister is taking to diversify the Iraqi economy from hydrocarbons,” according to the US Treasury statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and a number of Treasury officials.
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Clare: The Governor of the Central Bank announces the imminent adoption of the phone in completing banking operations in digital banks
The Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Al-Alaq, announced today, Wednesday, the success of the digital transformation and electronic payment plan in Iraq, while stressing that digital banks will allow citizens to manage their operations through the phone.
Al-Alaq told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Through the data that was discussed in the electronic payment conference, it clearly indicates the success of the digital transformation and electronic payment plan, and the percentage rose from 20 percent a few years ago to 48.5 percent, which is double the percentage,” indicating that “this percentage came during the last two years.”
He added that “there is a major transformation supported by a national strategy and a serious and direct government direction by the Prime Minister and giving the issue the momentum it deserves by providing the necessary infrastructure,” explaining that “Iraq now has advanced infrastructure to accommodate electronic payment tools and financial services of all kinds so that we can soon move to the transformation to digital banks in which the mobile phone will be the one leading the various operations.
This facilitates services for citizens, reduces the chances of fraud, reduces the chances of corruption, and provides important data at the national level on the nature of transactions, their content, and oversight of them and the compliance achieved through the large system.”
He continued: “Many requests have been submitted to the Central Bank to establish digital banks, and this is evidence that the trend is receiving the attention of investors. There are more than 60 requests that the Central Bank is currently examining carefully to be able to meet the requirements and conditions that achieve success, because we must ensure that the first step in digital banks is a successful step,” stressing “the conditions, controls and rules that digital banks operate under, but they represent a major shift in banking services, and through them, citizens will be able to manage their operations through mobile phones.”
He pointed out that “a large percentage of Iraqis own mobile phones, and this is an advantage that we must invest in to carry out this task.”
