Al-Maliki: Adjusting the exchange rate requires government measures to contain its negative effects
Al-Maliki: Adjusting the exchange rate requires government measures to contain its negative effects
2026-10-11
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday evening, Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, called for the swift announcement of measures to protect citizens’ income and purchasing power, and to maintain the stability of markets and economic activities, in light of the decision to raise the dollar exchange rate.
Al-Maliki said in a statement, which was reviewed by Shafaq News Agency, that those concerned with Iraqi economic affairs are divided between supporters and opponents of the decision, based on concern for the citizen’s purchasing power and standard of living.
He added that measures to adjust the exchange rate of the national currency are adopted in some countries facing economic crises, but their success is linked to the government’s ability to address their negative effects, protect citizens’ incomes, and reduce their impact on the markets.
Al-Maliki indicated that the government is about to take clear measures and mechanisms to ensure the preservation of citizens’ incomes and purchasing power, the stability of markets and the continuation of economic activities, in order to prevent citizens from bearing the burdens of these measures.
At the same time, he called for this measure not to be used as a pretext to cause concern or create a tense atmosphere, stressing the importance of expediting the announcement of solutions and measures that would protect the individual’s income and standard of living, in a way that preserves the interests of citizens and enhances economic stability.
Based on a decision by the Council of Ministers, the Central Bank of Iraq decided to amend the exchange rate of the dinar against the dollar, so that the selling price of the dollar to the public would be 1520 dinars, compared to 1510 dinars for banks and 1500 dinars for the purchase price of the dollar from the Ministry of Finance, effective from October 7, 2026.
As a result, the prices of a number of food items in Iraqi markets witnessed a significant increase, while some traders immediately raised the prices of goods, while others preferred to stop selling until market developments became clear.
shafaq.com
