The programme will involve fiscal consolidation moves aimed at cutting inefficient capital expenditure and at the same time protecting social spending. PHOTO: FILE
The IMF said the three-year loan will see $634 million immediately allocated to Baghdad, which needs the money to stabilise its balance of payments and ensure it can keep up with its debt obligations.
It will also focus on maintaining the peg of the Iraqi currency to the US dollar, while slowly removing exchange restrictions.
The programme will involve fiscal consolidation moves aimed at cutting inefficient capital expenditure and at the same time protecting social spending, the IMF said.
It said Iraq’s economy had contracted by 2.4% last year despite a 13% increase in oil production. The non-oil economy contracted 19%, it said, “as a result of the conflict with ISIS (Islamic State) and the ongoing fiscal consolidation.”
The IMF added that the money under the new programme will also support measures to protect the poor, strengthen financial management and fight corruption.
“The Iraqi economy has been hit hard by the double shock arising from the ISIS attacks and the sharp drop in global oil prices,” said Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu.
Other targets of programme reforms will be implementation of measures against money laundering and terror financing, the IMF said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2016.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ