MP Ahmed al-Moussawi warned on Monday that continued fluctuations in the dollar’s parallel-market exchange rate are hurting Iraq’s local markets. He said Parliament may summon Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the Central Bank governor if the authorities fail to stabilize the market soon.
Al-Moussawi said the dollar’s changing rate has disrupted sales of goods and commodities because of the gap between the parallel-market rate and the official exchange rate.
He criticized the government’s efforts to monitor the local market, saying the current measures are weak and fall short of what is needed.
He added that Parliament is concerned about the impact on ordinary citizens, particularly as essential goods become harder to find and prices continue to rise.
Al-Moussawi stressed that Parliament would not remain silent if the situation continued. He said lawmakers could summon the prime minister and the Central Bank governor to explain the measures being taken if the relevant authorities fail to bring the parallel market under control within a short period.
