Baghdad – IA – Hassan Al-Fawaz
The Union of Arab Banks confirmed on Monday that the Iraqi government supports the country’s transition from dependence on oil revenues to a successful diversified economy, while putting forward four proposals to enhance the compliance environment for Iraqi banks.
The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Banks, Wissam Hassan, said during the conference “The Challenges Facing Arab Banks in Complying with International Laws and Legislation and Meeting the Requirements of Correspondent Banks,” held in Baghdad in the presence of a large number of Arab banking and economic officials, and attended by the correspondent of the (INA): “Enhancing international confidence in Iraqi banks requires additional effort on multiple fronts, to enhance the compliance environment for Iraqi banks.”
He pointed out, “There are four proposals to enhance the compliance environment in Iraqi banks. First, Iraqi banks must invest in a strong compliance infrastructure, and the second proposal is to adopt advanced technology, which leads to changing the rules of the game in the field of compliance, as there are many programs, including It relies on artificial intelligence, which helps in the compliance process and data analysis.”
He added, “The third proposal is to adopt the principle of transparency in banking operations and the preparation of financial reports, in order to build sustainable trust with the international community. The last and most important proposal, in our opinion, is to prepare a comprehensive national plan for capacity development, training and qualification, especially in the field of affiliation.”
He continued, “Here the Union of Arab Banks proposes that a committee be established under the name of the National Capacity Development, Training and Qualification Committee, in cooperation between the Union of Arab Banks and the Association of Iraqi Private Banks and under the supervision of the Central Bank of Iraq, and its tasks will be training and qualifying Iraqi cadres and building capabilities in the subject of compliance and combating money laundering and terrorist financing.” And combating corruption, to become what is called a certified director for combating financial crimes.”
He went on to say: “The committee’s mission is also to provide consultation and technical support to develop and choose the special compliance program for each bank, in addition to forming an influence and communication force to develop Iraqi banks’ relations with international banking and regulatory authorities, especially American ones, in addition to documenting policies, procedures and internal controls related to compliance for each bank.” .
In turn, member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Arab Banks, Ziad Khalaf, said during the conference: “Compliance with international laws and legislation is not just a legal necessity, and not just an obligation, but rather an investment in confidence and economic stability, an investment that reflects our commitment to transparency and integrity, and our responsibility to ensure the protection of interests.” Finance, which is, in short, the basis of success and sustainability in mid-range businesses.”
He added, “If the Arab world wants to achieve integration and economic renaissance in the region, economists must recognize the historical moment in Iraq, which is the fourth largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa,” expressing his regret that “our Arab region is one of the least integrated regions in the world, as there is no Two-way trade represents only 18 percent of total trade, as well as of total exports.
He explained, “The Iraqi government today supports the country’s transition from dependence on oil revenues to a diversified economy, as a single economy is fraught with risks, while a diversified economy is guaranteed success.”
He pointed out that “activating the banking sector requires expanding electronic payment services and ensuring the granting of credit formations and loans by developing work mechanisms, including control and oversight, and enhancing their flexibility while adopting digital solutions, in addition to enhancing information security, combating fraud operations, and ensuring compliance with financial and banking legislation and laws,” calling for “Enhancing cooperation in order to build strong foundations for sustainable growth in our Arab region.”