On 2nd review of SBA with Iraq, IMF reached staff level agreement

The Iraqi authorities and an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team reached a staff-level agreement on the second review of the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) that was approved by the IMF Executive Board on July 7, 2016.

The SBA aims to restore fiscal and external balance and to improve public financial management while protecting social spending.
Iraq completed the first review under the SBA on December 5, 2016 and received a disbursement of SDR 0.46 billion (US$0.6 billion). Completion of the second review will release a further disbursement of SDR 0.6 billion (US$0.8 billion).

Mr. Christian Josz, Mission Chief for Iraq, said in a statement, “The Iraqi authorities and the IMF team have reached agreement on a supplementary budget for 2017, objectives for the 2018 budget, and strengthened procedures to keep expenditure under control. Both the supplementary 2017 budget and the 2018 budget will keep the fiscal consolidation, necessitated by the fall in oil prices, on track, while protecting social spending.”
He further added, “Once agreed prior actions have been implemented, the IMF Board could consider the second review of the SBA in August.

“During the discussions, the team met with Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Dr. Ali Mohsen Ismail Al-Allaq, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, Dr. Naufel Al-Hassan, Chairman of the Board of Supreme Audit, Dr. Salah Noori Khalaf, Acting Deputy Finance Minister, Ms. Taif Same, Deputy Minister of Planning, Dr. Qasim Enaya, Deputy Minister of Electricity, Mr. Abdel Hamza, Financial Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr. Mudher Saleh, and officials from the ministry of finance, Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), the Board of Supreme Audit, the ministry of oil, the ministry of planning, the ministry of electricity, and a representative from the Kurdistan Regional Government. The team would like to thank the Iraqi authorities for their cooperation and the open and productive discussions.”