A significant decline in the volume of foreign loans, and Iraq is in the green side in international credit standards

Iraq's external financial policy has improved its global credit rating, with external debt declining to approximately $10 billion. Despite the rise in domestic debt, economists assert that it poses no risk, thanks to the government's ability to set interest rates and schedule repayments.

The Iraqi government's foreign financial policy appears to be improving, as evidenced by a decline in foreign borrowing rates. This decline raises Iraq's global credit rating, which is based on the size of the debt and the country's ability to repay interest.

Economist Abdul Rahman Al-Mashhadani says, "The decline in external debt is a positive indicator, and it is not measured in this year, but rather over the past three years, when it fell to less than $30 billion, putting Iraq in the green."

Meanwhile, figures show an increase in the value of domestic debt, which the government has borrowed from financial institutions to finance projects and cover the financial deficit in the annual budgets. However, economic readings confirm that domestic loans do not pose a risk, given that the government determines the interest rate and carefully sets the repayment schedule. However, they remain within the framework of debt that must be repaid. Based on this, the Parliamentary Finance Committee emphasizes the need to deal with the available financial liquidity.

Finance Committee member Moein Al-Kadhimi said, "Based on what the government has at its disposal, it must act within its limits. This way, there is no budget deficit, there is ongoing funding for projects, and no new projects are initiated, while simultaneously funding the operating budget."

The size of foreign loans amounts to approximately $10 billion, which currently places Iraq at a (B-) rating, given that the size of foreign loans for 2023 exceeded $20 billion. This means that this decline is attributed to the government's good handling of foreign loan repayments, placing Iraq at a better credit rating than before.  link