1-4-2016 *Millionday ~[do you think they need to launch the market economy before any particular date?] THEY HAVE MADE VERY CLEAR TO THE GLOBE THROUGH PROMOTION AND JUST ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OBVIOUSLY CONTRACTS AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS TO ENTER THE GLOBAL MARKET -- THEY HAVE STATED THEY HAVE EVERY INTENTION AND ALL THEY ARE DOING IN TO ENTER A MARKET ECONOMY AND ACTIVATE THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND 'MADE IN IRAQ' BENEFITS AS THEY DIVERSIFY. THE DATE HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED BUT WHEN THEY STARTED DISCUSSING THE MOVE -- THEY CALLED IT URGENT.

1-4-2016 *Stryker ~Foreign Exchange Market: Today is the first trading day of the Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX) for year 2016 and no change has occurred "yet" in the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar (IQD) nor is there a change in Iraq's Monetary System or its reform measures so far. So let's update a few other items that effect this as well: Tariffs: no signs officially that they have started collecting tariffs at any of their custom port of entries on Friday nor have they today. So that tells me that last weeks news was to the following taking place: 2016 Budget Ratification: this did not take place on Friday as first reported last week but yet the President of Iraq was reported approving and ratifying it on Sunday (yesterday). Gazette Updates: the 2016 Budget will not be implemented until the new approved budget law is posted into the official Law Gazette, so neither the additional taxation or tariff taxes in Article 24 of the 2016 Budget can be implemented until it is.

1-4-2016 *Kaperoni ~Article quote: "but at this time no one can, not even Iraq to continue on the previous policy, because it is impossible to live on oil revenues only" The writing is on the wall. They cannot make it much longer and even Zebari said so today...can't pay salaries by April. This is a going to be rather interesting the next few months. Buckle up and let it come to us.

1-4-2016 *Enorrste ~Imposition of tariffs without a change to a float will not work. It will cause inflation in the country and place a heavy burden on the citizens of Iraq due to the higher prices. Unless they simultaneously allow the dinar to float (while reducing the money supply) then the Iraqi's will see the value of their dinar fall precipitously due to the higher prices of imported goods. The GOI tried this once already with trade into Kuwait and had to stop it immediately due to the disruption it caused. Now they are going to do it again over a larger territory. We can only hope that they have figured this out and that they will somehow get the dinars out of the mattresses so they can be destroyed and the value of the dinar to rise to offset the higher prices. Otherwise there will be revolt. The only good thing about the imposition of tariffs is that it will increase income to the GOI, but at the expense of the citizens of Iraq. I can't believe that the GOI would be this short-sighted and must conclude that this is being done in conjunction with the MOU with the IMF/CBI.

1-5-2016 *Mnt Goat ~In about mid November the CBI began collecting what stockpiles of 3 zero notes were stored at the banks. This action was very significant and could only mean two things: 1) they were going to discontinue the money auctions soon since the capital to buy US dollars just dried up (remember the banks must purchase US dollars using the 3 zero notes), in fact they told us the auctions would end Jan 1st, 2) the CBI was preparing for a significant increase the value of the dinar and did not want to chance these older 3 zero notes being put back into circulation prior to the event. Yes – they were about to launch the new lower denominations and go 1:1 with the US dollar. Yes – the final stages of the process was about to begin. But here we sit with still no action. But remember it is only Jan 4th and still just only weeks from these events. So do not get discouraged. Remember too Iraq hardly ever does anything on time and is always weeks or even months late. I am also getting other conflicting information that they firmly intend to wait until late Jan to early Feb to continue the process to delete the zeros. But we do also know this. The IMF is refusing to fulfill the 1.2 billions left of dispersement on a loan they approved for Iraq in October 2015 until they fulfill their part of the agreement to complete the currency reform...be assured that that Iraq is under extreme pressure to drop those lower denominations and coins in the public and being the road to the “full” blown RV that we all want.

1-5-2016 *Millionday ~THE TERRORISM GOING ON RIGHT NOW HAS IMPACTED THE GLOBE BUT ECONOMICALLY IRAQ WILL NOT BE STOPPED IN GROWTH OR PLANS...

1-5-2016 *mike ~I would have bailed from any other "investment" long ago if the leaders were half as inept as Iraq's leadership. Kap's right though, they'll either squander all their reserves and become insolvent or they'll move the currency forward by the summer.

1-5-2016 *Poppy3 ~[use to see articles about Iraq joining the WTO but now i do not, how does the IQD become international, unless iraq because a full member?] THEY NEED THE RATE...THEY NEED MORE THAN TO BE A GUEST MEMBER... THEY HAVE TO BE A FULL MEMBER TO HAVE A GLOBAL TRADEABLE CURRENCY SO WE WAIT AND WATCH EVERY MOVE EVERY DAY. REMEMBER KUWAIT ANNOUNCED ON THE MORNING THEY HAD INDICATED THEY WHERE GOING TO CHANGE THEIR RATE. THAT MORNING THEY ANNOUNCED NO CHANGE FOR AT LEASED 3 MORE MONTHS. THAT VERY AFTERNOON...EARLY EVENING BAM , BAM THEY REVALUED.

1-5-2016 *Kaperoni ~Article quote: "but at this time no one can, not even Iraq to continue on the previous policy, because it is impossible to live on oil revenues only..." All of these conditions are in our favor. Remember, the worse things get, the more they will do what they should be doing.