THREE REASONS BEHIND IT… AL-SUDANI’S ADVISOR TO RUDAW: ABOUT 90% OF IRAQ’S MONETARY MASS IS HOARDED OUTSIDE BAN

 THREE REASONS BEHIND IT… AL-SUDANI’S ADVISOR TO RUDAW: ABOUT 90% OF IRAQ’S MONETARY MASS IS HOARDED OUTSIDE BANKS.

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, economic advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, believes that approximately 90% of Iraq’s monetary mass is outside the banking sector and hoarded in homes.

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh told Rudaw Media Network on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) that “in the calculations of the monetary equation in Iraq, the currency issued outside the central bank and circulated outside banks is called external leakage,” indicating that “this is a historical issue and not a recent one, and this leakage rate sometimes reaches about 90%.”

He pointed out that “when it improves, it is 87% and rises to 90%. For example, if we have approximately 100 trillion dinars today, the current leakage is around 91-92 trillion dinars, and these indicators fluctuate from one month to the next.”

high cash leakages 

He also noted that “Iraq is one of the countries with the highest levels of cash leakage from the banking system due to currency issuance,” noting that “there are reasons behind this.”

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh explained that “among these reasons, the first is the lack of trust in the banking system. The second is religious and social factors, particularly the fear of usury and interest, given that our society is religious and sensitive to this issue. The third factor is the culture of dealing with banks, benefiting from banking services, and the role of banks in financial inclusion issues, all of which are missing.”

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s economic advisor noted that “the economy’s liquidity is high, but bank liquidity is weak, and the government is also struggling with liquidity issues at a time when public liquidity is concentrated in huge surpluses.”

Withdrawal of hoarding from homes

As for how to withdraw this liquidity from hoarding in homes, he explained that “it is done for many reasons and by many means, including, for example, encouraging the Deposit Insurance Company, which is a start-up company and I consider it a good one, but it needs greater support and wider advertising, and it needs to clarify to the public that there is a company called the Deposit Insurance Company, and that there is no fear for your deposits from any problems in the event of bank failures, which means that they are completely secure.”

Among other measures that could be taken in this regard, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh pointed to “the need to deal with government bonds with high and clear guarantees, which are considered guaranteed sovereign bonds with high interest rates, in addition to the use of digital payments that force people to maintain bank accounts using electronic cards, which is part of digital financial inclusion.”

He emphasized that “the leap towards digital financial inclusion must rid us of some of this bad social habit, the problem of which is that it disrupts the income cycle. This means that the income cycle is not completed, with savings being converted into investments, stimulating the economy, achieving the economy’s goals, and aligning economic balances with them.”

He also pointed out that “there is a state of uncertainty about this issue, represented by people depositing their money in banks and then immediately withdrawing it, and the banks are hedging their money without lending it, meaning there is a gap, so the banks should provide more facilities.”

The economic advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister also said, “The more money is inside the banking system, the better off it is than if it is outside the banking system.”

“Lending outside the banking system is expensive.”

Regarding lending outside the banking system, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh said it is “very expensive, reaching approximately 70% per year, which means it is exorbitant usury. Therefore, citizens seek loans from banks regardless of the interest rate, given that a bank loan is cheaper than a loan outside of banks.”

Regarding currency issuance in Iraq, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh stated, “Today, it’s estimated at around 100 trillion dinars, and this isn’t fixed and fluctuates.” He added, “Cash flow is around 90 trillion dinars.”