Economist: Travelers’ dollars are leaking into the parallel market…and this is what the Central Bank should do
{Al-Furat News} The economic expert, Safwan Qusay said: “The current policy of the Central Bank of Iraq goes towards auditing the cash dollar, which was marred by many failures in the first periods, especially its leakage through travelers to the irregular market, and this issue needs a new and clear mechanism.”
He added, “It is assumed that travelers are dealt with through tourism and airline companies, and the travel ticket is not allowed to be canceled unless the traveler returns the amount he purchased from the exchange outlets or banks.”
Qusay stressed, “This measure will restore confidence in the cash dollar and the possibility of facilitating the mission of real tourists and filling the gaps that accompanied the process of establishing the electronic platform for the cash sale of foreign currencies.”
He stated that “the Central Bank will not hesitate to provide the dollar to those entitled to it, whether at the level of Hajj or other windows,” noting that “the Central Bank’s emphasis on procedures for granting citizens the cash dollar ensures that it reaches those who need it.”
Qusay added, “The Central Bank’s official sales during the previous 10 days rose to $270 million per day, which is an indication of the activation of the electronic platform,” adding, “The more we reduce imports and analyze the irregular demand for the dollar, the more stable the dollar’s exchange rate will be.”
Meanwhile, travelers expressed their surprise at the Central Bank’s decisions to prevent government banks from selling dollars to travelers.
Travelers said, via {Al-Furat News}: “We are surprised by the Central Bank’s decisions to prevent government banks from selling the dollar to travelers and monopolizing it only with financial transfer and exchange companies.”
Travelers called on Parliament and members of the Parliamentary Finance Committee to “intervene and solve the problem and allow government banks to carry out the process of selling the dollar, especially in conjunction with the delegation of pilgrims to the Holy House of God, and they need to buy the dollar at the official price.”
Alforatnews.iq