Prime Minister's Advisor: The country's financial situation is secure

The Prime Minister's Financial Advisor, Dr. Mazhar Mohammed Salih, stated that Iraq's financial situation remains within safe limits, despite regional tensions resulting from the Israeli aggression against Iran. He noted that the country possesses clear financial tools and hedges in the three-year general budget law that enable it to absorb potential shocks.

Saleh said, in an interview with Al-Sabah, followed by Al-Eqtisad News, that “the general budget for the three years (2023-2025) was prepared according to a medium-term financial policy, which includes hedging within the upper spending ceilings, as it was set between an upper limit of 200 trillion dinars, and a lower limit of more than 155 trillion dinars, which ensures meeting the state’s operational and investment obligations.”

He explained that "this hedge is based on the movement of the oil asset cycle, and a hypothetical deficit of 64 trillion dinars has been adopted, which is supposed to be financed in the event of a price decline, which constitutes a strong precaution against any sharp fluctuations in the global oil market."

He explained that "the last two months have indeed witnessed signs of a price contraction in the oil market, but the geopolitical tensions resulting from the war between Iran and the Zionist entity caused a positive price shock, raising oil prices by about $10 per barrel, which improved the country's revenues, although this is fraught with risks related to the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 99% of Iraq's oil exports pass."

The advisor added, "The Iraqi economy is currently supported by a foreign exchange reserve, which is a fundamental pillar of stability, covering 15 months of trade, in addition to the availability of commodity stocks, some of which extend for more than three years, and food security indicators are very reassuring."

Saleh concluded his remarks by emphasizing that "Iraq's fiscal policy is built on a foundation of caution and forward-looking planning to ensure it can address any potential external repercussions, including those that may result from regional conflicts or oil market turmoil."  link