The Minister of Finance chairs a meeting to implement the ASYCUDA system in Kurdistan and unify customs procedures.

Finance Minister Taif Sami chaired a meeting on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) to implement the ASYCUDA system in Kurdistan and unify customs procedures.

The ministry said in a statement that “Finance Minister Taif Sami today chaired an expanded meeting to discuss the draft agreement for implementing the ASYCUDA customs automation system in the Kurdistan Region, in implementation of the directives of the Ministerial Council for Economy in its session held on April 6, 2026.”

She added that “the meeting was attended by the Director General of the Federal Customs Authority, the Director General of the Regional Customs and his assistant, the advisor to the Regional Interior Minister, the head of the Information Technology Department there, the Director of the Legal Department at the Federal Customs Authority, in addition to a team of experts from the UNCTAD International Organization.”

During the meeting, the minister stressed “the need to take into account the laws within the ASYCUDA system and to identify all legal conflicts between the two sides in order to harmonize them and obtain official approvals regarding them.”

The statement indicated that “it was agreed to form the ASYCUDA team for the region to be part of the unified national team, with an emphasis on completing all the system requirements by the companies concerned in the region and accurately defining the powers and responsibilities of each party to ensure the smooth flow of work.”

He continued, “In the context of strengthening the technical aspects, Minister Sami directed that a Kurdish language interface be provided within the system and adopted in the forms during actual implementation, similar to the Arabic and English languages, to ensure ease of use. The agreement also included launching a comprehensive training program in which the national team will train the staff working on the system in the region, ensuring raising technical efficiency and unifying customs administration standards in all border crossings.”

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The reason for blocking Telegram in Iraq has been revealed.

A government source revealed on Monday the reasons for imposing the ban on the “Telegram” platform, stressing that the most important of these reasons is to stop the activities of armed factions.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the government, in coordination with the security and intelligence services, has directed the suspension of the Telegram platform, as it is one of the platforms used by some armed factions for communication, and therefore, suspending it contributes to stopping their activities.”

The source added that “this is part of the government’s measures to control security in the country and reduce attacks by drones.”

Since Telegram was shut down in Iraq last Friday, channels within the application belonging to armed factions have continued to publish their activities through the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

On Friday, the “Technology for Peace” page posted that “the Telegram app is blocked within the Iraqi federal government, while it is still working in the Kurdistan Region. There is no official explanation yet.”

According to citizens from Baghdad and the governorates of Basra, Najaf, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, Diyala, and other areas, the Telegram application has been down for more than an hour (at the time of preparing this news), and it is not known whether it is a technical malfunction or a ban.

Shafaq.com

After the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, will Iraq capitalize on rising oil prices to revive its budget?

Economic researcher Diaa Abdul Karim affirmed that Iraq has a significant opportunity to bolster state revenues and support the general budget in the coming period, given the current fluctuations in oil markets.

Abdul Karim told the Information Agency that “Iraq’s exemption and the opening of transit routes for its exports through the Strait of Hormuz represent a major opportunity to increase oil sales, especially with many Asian countries turning to purchase Iraqi oil.”
He added that “the price of a barrel of oil used in the previous budget was around $70, while current prices have exceeded $100 per barrel, which means generating additional revenues that can contribute to supporting the state treasury.”

He explained that “Asian countries are among the largest importers of Iraqi oil and will benefit from facilitating the movement of their tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to reach Iraqi ports, particularly in Basra, which enhances the chances of increasing oil exports.”

He pointed out that “these factors represent a real opportunity for the government to maximize revenues and prepare to face the repercussions of regional and international conditions in the coming period.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Youssef: Only 50 MPs have the freedom to make decisions within Parliament.

Member of Parliament Mukhtar al-Youssef revealed on Monday the dominance of political bloc leaders over majority decisions within Parliament, asserting that the number of MPs who possess the freedom to express themselves and vote independently does not exceed fifty.

Al-Youssef told Al-Maalouma, “The actual number of MPs capable of expressing their opinions free from the dictates of bloc leaders is very small compared to the total number, indicating that this group does not exceed fifty MPs.”

He added, “The majority of MPs were elected with financial and moral support from their bloc leaders, which makes them committed to their directives when voting on important laws and resolutions,” noting that “passing resolutions is often linked to signals from bloc leaders.”

Al-Youssef pointed out that “this situation has negatively impacted parliamentary performance and led to a decline in both oversight and legislative roles,” emphasizing that “the number of MPs who are independent in their decisions decreases with each election cycle, making Parliament subject to narrow political compromises.”

Almaalomah.me

Security, integrity, and finance first: Parliament prepares to vote on the most important committees.

Member of Parliament Ahmed al-Shammari confirmed on Monday that Parliament intends to finalize the formation of the sovereign parliamentary committees during its sessions today and next Wednesday, paving the way for them to begin their oversight and legislative duties.

Al-Shammari told the Information Agency, “Parliament will vote in today’s session and the session scheduled for next Wednesday to select members for the vital and sovereign committees, most notably the Security and Defense Committee and the Integrity Committee, in addition to the Finance Committee and other committees.”
He added, “Completing the formation of these committees is a crucial step to activate the role of Parliament,” explaining that “the relevant committees will immediately begin discussing a package of stalled laws on the agenda, with the aim of presenting them for a vote and enacting legislation.”

Al-Shammari clarified that “the delay in finalizing these committees has somewhat affected the pace of parliamentary work, but the upcoming sessions will resolve this issue to ensure the smooth flow of oversight and legislative work for the current session.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Saadi denies postponing the presidential election session and affirms proceeding with the constitutional entitlement.

MP Jawad Al-Saadi denied on Monday the postponement of next Saturday’s session dedicated to electing the President of the Republic.

Al-Saadi told Al-Maalouma that “the House of Representatives session scheduled for next Saturday to elect the President of the Republic will proceed as planned, and with its constitutional provisions, which are represented in completing this entitlement,” noting that “there is consensus within the House of Representatives to resolve it and proceed with it.”

He added that “there is no truth to what is being circulated regarding the possibility of postponing the session or delaying its convening,” explaining that “resolving this entitlement will lead to the President of the Republic assigning the candidate of the largest bloc to form the government, and thus we will be facing the birth of a new government that takes into consideration the important and sensitive files, especially the financial and economic ones.”

Al-Saadi indicated that “today’s session finalized the remaining parliamentary committee formations,” confirming that “the vote on the remaining committees will be completed this Wednesday.”

Almaalomah.me

15 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz “with Iranian permission” within 24 hours

The Iranian website Tabnak reported on Monday that only 15 ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, amid strict restrictions on maritime traffic.

The website, citing maritime sources, stated that the ships passed through after obtaining permission from the Iranian side, with monitoring measures imposed on maritime traffic in the area.

The report added that a number of ships are still waiting to obtain crossing permits, while some shipping companies prefer to postpone their trips until the security situation becomes clearer.

He noted that shipping traffic in the strait has declined by about 90% compared to the period before the attack on Iran, reflecting the state of caution among global shipping companies.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime routes for transporting oil and gas, as a large percentage of global energy exports pass through it, making any decline in shipping traffic directly impactful on global markets.

Bloomberg had previously reported that an oil tanker carrying Iraqi crude had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran announced it was granting Baghdad a special exemption allowing its tankers to pass through despite restrictions on navigation.

This came after the closure of the strait following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which led to a decline in Iraqi exports and a rise in global oil prices.

Shafaq.com

A plan to end the war: “No nuclear weapons, no sanctions,” but Tehran refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters, citing informed sources, revealed details of a proposed plan to halt the fighting between the United States and Iran, which is supposed to be decided on Monday. The plan includes an immediate ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran abandoning nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting sanctions and releasing its frozen assets.

The sources stated that “Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir held talks with the US Vice President, as well as US envoy Steve Wittkopf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.”

According to the sources, a two-stage plan was presented to Washington and Tehran, beginning with an immediate ceasefire, followed by reaching a final agreement within a period of 15 to 20 days.

The sources indicated that “the plan also includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as part of a broader package of understandings related to the Iranian nuclear issue and lifting economic restrictions.”

According to Reuters, the two sides must make a decision on the plan today, in a move that could pave the way for containing the escalation and opening the door to a comprehensive settlement within a short period.

In contrast, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had received Pakistan’s proposal and was reviewing it, and would not accept deadlines or any pressure.

The official stressed that Tehran “will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire,” and believes that America is not ready for a permanent ceasefire.

Earlier today, Axios, citing four American, Israeli, and regional sources, reported that the United States and Iran are conducting negotiations through regional intermediaries regarding a possible 45-day ceasefire that could pave the way for a permanent agreement to end the war.

On Sunday, Trump threatened to wipe out Iran if no agreement was reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not opened by Tuesday evening, refusing to give a timetable for ending the war.

Shafaq.com

Observatory: Iraq was able to purchase 80 oil tankers with its 2025 investment budget.

The Eco Iraq Observatory confirmed on Monday that the investment expenditures of the Ministry of Oil during one year are sufficient to purchase 80 oil tankers, indicating that Iraqi governments have not invested sufficiently in this sector during the past years.

The observatory stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that “the Ministry of Oil is one of the ministries that has allocated the most investment expenditures over the past years,” indicating that “the investment expenditures of the ministry in 2025 amounted to more than 12 trillion and 873 billion dinars, which is equivalent to about 9.9 billion dollars.”

He explained that “this amount allows Iraq to purchase about 80 giant oil tankers of the (VLCC) type, as the price of each one is about $110 million, which can be used to transport Iraqi oil and the oil of other countries.”

The observatory added that “there are several types of oil tankers, including ULCC (Ultra Large Crude), VLCC (Very Large Crude), Suezmax (Medium-sized), in addition to Aframax, Panamax, MR and Handysize (Small-sized).”

He noted that “this large volume of investment spending raises questions about spending priorities, especially in light of increasing economic crises and the need for greater support in essential sectors such as electricity, water and health.”

The statement continued, “Investing in a giant oil transport fleet would have enhanced Iraq’s ability to secure its exports and increase revenues, without the need to rely on external companies and partners.”

The Iraqi State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) urged its customers to expedite the submission of crude oil loading schedules within 24 hours, following Iraq’s exemption from any Iranian restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Bloomberg reported earlier on Sunday that an oil tanker carrying Iraqi crude appeared to be crossing the Strait of Hormuz, a day after Iran announced it was granting Iraq a special exemption to use the waterway despite continued restrictions on most countries.

Shafaq.com