TNT:
Tishwash: The New York Times: The Trump administration is demanding the nomination of a new prime minister for Iraq.
The newspaper revealed New York Times, that The administration of US President Donald Trump She called for the nomination of a new prime minister in Iraq.
The newspaper quoted an official,Trump administration .It calls for the nomination of a new prime minister for Iraq,” adding, “America has halted security cooperation with Iraq This includes training and financial support.
The official added,Washington It suspended its support and funding for Iraqi security forces.
The coordination framework held a meeting yesterday, Monday, in Office of the President National Wisdom Movement Mr. Ammar Al-Hakim . The decision on the prime minister candidate has been postponed until tomorrow, Wednesday. link
Tishwash: MP: There is no draft budget law for 2026… Finance Ministry focuses on controlling spending
MP Ahmed Haji Rashid confirmed on Monday that there is no draft budget law for 2026 at present, indicating that the legal procedures for its preparation will begin in the middle of next year.
Rashid told the Information Agency, “The preparation of the 2026 budget is not underway now; rather, its outlines and preparation are scheduled to begin in May 2025,” explaining that “what is being circulated now is merely speculation.”
He added that “there are accurate financial statements issued by the Ministry of Finance and submitted to the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to regulate the current expenditure mechanism,” noting that “these procedures aim to ensure transparency in spending while awaiting the legal deadlines for preparing future budgets.” link
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Tishwash: An economist reveals the mechanism for distributing Iraqi oil dollars at the US Federal Reserve.
Economic expert Ziad Al-Hashemi revealed on Monday the distribution map of Iraqi oil dollars deposited with the US Federal Reserve, confirming that the hard currency is distributed among 3 main channels: “Iraq 1”, “Iraq 2”, and airborne shipments .
Al-Hashemi said in a post on the “X” platform, which was followed by the “Al-Sa’a” network, that “the funds entering the (Iraq 1) account are used through 3 main channels. The first, which is the largest, is to finance Iraqi commercial transfers related to imports and government and private letters of guarantee, where these transfers are released from the Federal account (Iraq 1) to multiple accounts .”
He added that “the most prominent of these accounts is the JPMorgan account (correspondent bank), which in turn transfers the funds via the SWIFT system to the final beneficiary, which means that the funds remain within the United States and are not received by any Iraqi party within Iraq .”
He added that “the second track relates to delivering limited quantities of cash dollars to the Central Bank of Iraq, to be used for specific purposes such as travel, medical treatment and study, through monitored channels that are subject to multiple audits to ensure their accurate arrival. These funds arrive by air in the form of shipments spaced out over time, with an average of between 250 and 500 million dollars per shipment .”
He pointed out that “the third path is to transfer the surplus achieved, after completing all Iraqi financial obligations, from account (Iraq 1) to account (Iraq 2), to strengthen the Iraqi monetary reserve, protect the value of the dinar and create a financial buffer that supports the economy .”
He explained that “the Federal Reserve’s halt in sending dollars to Iraq only relates to cash shipments, which constitute only about 7% of Iraq’s total dollar holdings resulting from oil sales, while the dollar transfer system for financing trade and imports continues normally and without obstacles .”
He added that “these remittances are subject to strict scrutiny by multiple parties, which makes it extremely difficult for them to reach entities sanctioned by the US,” noting that “if the arrival of dollar cash to the Central Bank were to stop, it would have specific effects on travel, treatment and study, but the Central Bank is able to deal with it, but this may be directly reflected in the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market link
Tishwash: Purchasing power: A widening gap between income and the cost of living
The gap between monthly income and the cost of living is widening, leading to a sharp decline in purchasing power across all segments of society. This gap is no longer solely linked to prices, but is also intertwined with factors such as market volatility, weak oversight, and the absence of stable economic policies.
At the beginning of each month, the equation for living seems clear to Iraqi families: a fixed salary met with increasing expenses. But as the days pass, this equation quickly becomes unbalanced, turning into an unequal race between limited income and fluctuating prices, leaving many families with only one option: to continually compromise on some of their needs.
A radical change in spending behavior
This shift is no longer just a general impression, but is described by economic researcher Ahmed Eid as a radical change in spending behavior, as he says that “the erosion of the purchasing power of the monthly salary has pushed the Iraqi family to radically change its spending behavior, as the focus has become on necessities only after the decline in the ability to cover the needs of the month.”
With this decline , priorities are no longer the same, as Eid tells “Al-Tareeq Al-Shaab” that “families have turned to reducing luxuries, reducing food quantities, and buying cheaper goods, while postponing many basic expenses,” in a clear attempt to adapt to limited income.
In contrast, the market continues to move at a different pace, as he explains that “rising prices, stagnant wages and weak market oversight have contributed to deepening the income and expenditure gap,” noting that the monthly salary “no longer covers more than a few days,” in the absence of effective measures to control the market and prevent exploitation.
This reality has led many families to rely on temporary solutions, but these carry long-term risks. Eid confirms that “small debts and deferred purchases have become part of the daily economy of the Iraqi family, from shop debts to installments and small loans,” creating a state of social fragility that may worsen with any financial setback.
Regarding solutions, he stresses that alleviating the burden requires “urgent policies that include controlling the prices of basic commodities, activating market oversight, and reconsidering the salary scale in line with the price level,” in addition to “expanding social protection networks and providing productive job opportunities that guarantee a stable income.”
Purchasing power is gradually collapsing
For his part, the head of the Iraqi Center for Human Rights, Ali Al-Abadi, said that the current economic scene is witnessing an increasing and dangerous gap between fixed salary levels and escalating living costs, considering that the wars and tensions witnessed in the region represent the main driver of this decline in purchasing power, given that buying and selling operations internally are linked to the dollar exchange rate, which in turn is subject to international policies, especially those of the United States, which indicates the absence of real sovereignty for the Iraqi economy and its direct impact on external shocks.
Al-Abadi stressed that this reality places the state before its legal responsibilities, as the Iraqi constitution, in its second chapter related to rights and freedoms, obliges the concerned authorities to provide the appropriate environment to ensure a decent income for the citizen, in addition to the moral obligations imposed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its twenty-fifth article, which obliges member states, including Iraq, to secure the basic living requirements of food, medicine and housing for all members of society without exception.
In his reading of the social effects, Al-Abadi explained that the segment of people with special needs and retirees of all kinds, in addition to the laborers, are the groups most affected by the absence of the oversight role, which has not reached the required level, noting that the past hours have witnessed large jumps in the prices of food commodities as a result of the security deterioration and the attack on some outlets, which reflects a close link between security stability and the daily living situation of citizens.
Al-Abadi concluded by calling for the urgent implementation of a package of government measures, accompanied by close monitoring from members of the House of Representatives and provincial councils, and the activation of the role of security agencies specializing in combating economic crime, in order to support those with limited income and low salaries and ensure overcoming the current crisis with the least possible losses at the level of living.
vulnerable groups on the front
Economic observer Abdul Salam Hassan believes that the poor, destitute, and unemployed citizen is “the first loser in the equation of living.”
Hassan confirms that relying on relatives has become an essential means of survival for many , while unemployment and poverty rates remain at high levels approaching thirty percent.
Abdul Salam pointed to the clear contradiction between the living reality and the statements of some politicians, as some continue to deny the existence of poverty in Iraq.
He believes that salaries need to be stabilized and adjusted, noting that some citizens receive low amounts ranging between 120,000 and 170,000 dinars only, even though the Iraqi constitution stipulated raising the standard of living since 2005.
He emphasizes that any disruption to salaries directly impacts the country’s stability, as the lack of income leads to the cessation of basic services, such as electricity, forcing citizens to pay for it twice, once to the state and once to their families, as he describes it.
As for the price increases, Abdel Salam describes the phenomenon as an “economic crisis,” where the greatest burden is borne by poor consumer families, without taking into account the impact of wars, taxes and fees on purchasing power.
The researcher suggests practical solutions to support the citizen, such as pricing the seven basic commodities through government outlets designated for the poor, with quotas distributed monthly or every two months, to avoid any disruption in distribution and reduce corruption.
He also emphasizes the importance of supporting the private sector and enabling citizens to open small businesses at nominal rental prices, in order to provide job opportunities for graduates and reduce unemployment.
Abdul Salam concludes by saying: “Iraq is full of resources, and there is no need for the poor to be victims of the current economic system. Solutions exist, but they require a genuine political will to implement them.” link
