Tishwash: The Ministry of Finance terminates the reciprocal obligations of the three-year budget.
The Iraqi Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday that it has taken the necessary measures to terminate the mutual financial obligations under the tripartite federal budget law.
This came during a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Taif Sami at the ministry headquarters, which included the deputy head of the Federal Financial Control Bureau, the director general of the accounting department in the ministry, the directors general in the ministries of oil and electricity, and the directors of the budget departments in the Ministry of Oil.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance received by Noon News Agency, the meeting was held to finalize outstanding accounting settlements between the two ministries and to follow up on the results related to resolving joint financial files that have been officially approved.
The statement indicated that the meeting resulted in taking the necessary measures to terminate the mutual financial obligations under the Federal General Budget Law for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, while reserving the amounts required to address them later and ensuring the organization of the oil companies’ shares within the budget schedules to ensure the stability of operational processes in the two vital sectors.
The meeting also produced recommendations, including that the committee formed by royal decree should complete the remaining settlement procedures in 2026 and subsequent years, according to the statement.
He added that those present also discussed ways to address the amounts related to licensing round contracts for foreign companies, and the minister directed the accounting department to complete the procedures as soon as the detailed data for previous years is received from the Ministry of Oil.
It was decided to include the licensing rounds dues for the period from 2022 to 2025 in next year’s budget, in order to ensure the accuracy of the state’s final accounts and enhance levels of financial transparency in accordance with approved regulatory standards. link
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Tishwash: Iraqi Dinar Plummets Against Dollar as Citizens Rush to Exchange
Value of $100 jumps by 8,000 dinars in two days amid rising fear and market uncertainty.
The Iraqi dinar continued its sharp decline on Tuesday, with the exchange rate for $100 rising to 157,000 dinars in Erbil’s markets, up from 149,000 dinars on Monday, reflecting a surge in demand for U.S. currency. Currency traders attributed the rapid increase to widespread public concern and the ongoing preference to hold dollars over the domestic currency.
Tahsin Khushnaw, a local currency exchange office owner in Erbil, on Tuesday told Kurdistan24 that the dollar’s value has climbed noticeably in recent days.
“Previously, half of the funds in exchange offices were in dollars and half in dinars,” he said. “Now, three-quarters of cash is in dollars, leaving only a small portion in dinars. Citizens’ fear and the rush to convert dinars into dollars is one of the main reasons.”
Khushnaw also cited administrative changes as a contributing factor. The distribution of dollars through Iraq’s central bank to merchants has been disrupted, particularly due to the implementation of a new electronic customs system, leaving many traders unable to access official bank dollars and forcing them to turn to the open market.
“The lack of confidence in future stability has prompted many residents to exchange their dinars for dollars,” Khushnaw said.
He noted that political uncertainty in the region and fears of U.S. sanctions on Iraq over militia involvement in government have added pressure on the dinar.
Since the beginning of January, the dinar’s value has been on a rapid upward trajectory against the dollar in both the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad. Traders say delays and new regulations in the official currency transfer system have further pushed them to seek dollars from market sources, amplifying the surge.
Supporting the dinar’s volatility, Iraq’s central bank imposed 22 financial penalties on local banks over the past three months for violations of banking regulations, with fines totaling 34.4 billion dinars. The highest number of penalties in late 2025 was 13 fines, exceeding 18 billion dinars.
Over the previous year, a total of 120 asset-related penalties were issued, mostly during the first quarter, reflecting central bank efforts to enforce compliance among Iraq’s 74 licensed banks. Observers note that these sanctions, often linked to irregularities in cash handling and electronic transfers, have contributed to uncertainty in domestic financial markets.
The dinar’s steep depreciation coincides with tightening of electronic dollar transfers and escalating U.S. pressure on Baghdad regarding the inclusion of militias in the next government.
The domestic currency decline has occurred amid a historic surge in global gold prices, which exceeded $5,100 per ounce for the first time, signaling broader economic and geopolitical instability.
Kaifi Mohammed, a spokesperson for Erbil’s currency market, on Monday said market confidence has been undermined by administrative and political factors.
Procedures in the official banking transfer system have created bottlenecks for merchants needing dollars for international trade. Coupled with U.S. warnings regarding armed factions in Iraq’s next cabinet, merchants have rushed to secure dollars, driving the dinar’s fall.
Global gold markets are simultaneously reflecting geopolitical risk, large-scale bullion purchases, and expectations of lower interest rates from the U.S. Federal Reserve, further reinforcing the dinar’s volatility.
Economists warn that Iraq may face a “dangerous crossroads,” as U.S. threats to restrict access to the country’s oil revenues could trigger systemic salary shocks and broader financial disruption.
Observers stress that economic stability is now inseparable from political and security stability, and that ordinary citizens are bearing the brunt of the currency decline and rising cost of living.
As of Tuesday, merchants across Erbil and Baghdad remain on high alert, closely monitoring exchange rates for further signs of currency fluctuations. link
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Tishwash: Caracas: Frozen Venezuelan funds released after talks with Washington
Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez announced Tuesday that the release of frozen Venezuelan assets in the United States has begun, as a result of dialogue with the administration of President Donald Trump.
Rodriguez confirmed that part of these released funds will be used to purchase hospital equipment from the US market.
In an event broadcast by the official Venezuelan television channel “Venezulana de Televisión”, Rodriguez confirmed that she had “established channels of communication based on respect and courtesy” with both Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting that they were working on a “common agenda” within which “the frozen resources of Venezuela belonging to the Venezuelan people will be unfrozen,” allowing for the investment of large sums in equipping hospitals.
She added that the released funds would also be used to purchase equipment for the country’s electricity and gas sectors, reiterating her government’s accusation that Western countries had frozen billions of dollars of Venezuelan money, gold, and other assets abroad due to international sanctions, primarily US sanctions.
Rodriguez, who assumed the interim presidency following the arrest of Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3 by US forces in a series of raids on Venezuelan territory, called for “diplomatic dialogue to resolve differences,” stressing that her country wants to address the differences with Washington through political communication between officials of the two countries.
For his part, Trump told reporters that he “doesn’t know exactly what’s going on there,” but stressed that he has a “very good relationship” with the Venezuelan government, commenting on Rodriguez’s earlier statements that she was “fed up with foreign orders.” link
