Billions In Fines... Has The Central Bank Launched A Bank Purge?

 
July 27, 2025 Last updated: July 27, 2025  Al-Mustaqilla/- In a move that has raised many questions within banking circles, the Central Bank of Iraq has begun implementing financial sanctions on a number of private banks and exchange companies.
 
This is part of a campaign aimed at correcting the course of the banking sector, which is facing increasing criticism regarding    poor compliance and  exchange rate manipulation.

According to a schedule published yesterday afternoon,  the value of fines imposed on  banks and  exchange companies  amounted to more than 24 billion Iraqi dinars  uring the second quarter of this year.

This figure reflects the extent of accumulated violations in the local banking market,which observers believe  pose a 

The move comes after the "Istanbul meeting.”
 
The meeting, according to leaks, witnessed a heated discussion about Iraq's commitment to international standards for combating money laundering and  terrorist financing, with threats of new sanctions that could affect the Iraqi banking sector  unless urgent reform measures are taken. 

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Economic sources indicate that the recent sanctions may be a preliminary  step toward revoking the  licenses of some banks and exchange companies  that have failed to comply with regulations and instructions, particularly those involved in  dollar smuggling or  manipulation of exchange rates on the parallel market.
 
Observers expect the coming days to witness a broad audit campaign led by the Central Bank,  in coordination with regulatory and security agencies, to control banking performance and  address the chaos that has contributed to market turmoil and   undermined public confidence.
 
Message to banks: comply or exit the market  
 
The Central Bank's latest move could be a clear message to financial institutions: "Commitment first," as the Iraqi government seeks to  assert state sovereignty over the financial sector and  distance itself  from  political pressures and  vested interests  that have hindered sector reform for years. Experts believe that the success of these measures depends on  serious implementation, and not just financial fines, but also holding those responsible for violations acountable and  withdrawing banking privileges from the parties involved.    https://mustaqila.com/غرامات-بالمليارات-هل-بدأ-البنك-المركز/