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Economics and development

The Iraqi Disease and the Aging of the State

Dr. Mazen Al Aboudi, Ph.D. Geology – Expert at Alnajah Center For Training & Development. Everyone might agree on describing the Iraqi economy as a rentier economy (The first man to use the term rentier economy as a form of financial return is Adam Smith in his book The Wealth of...

America Needs the Oil Market in the Middle East -Iraq is the second exporter in OPEC

Many say that in the long run, the US will need the oil of the Middle East to compensate for the depletion of crude oil reserves in its production centers. In contrast, the current volume of its consumption and its need for Middle East oil has diminished compared to...

An Overview on Public Sector Employment/Recruitment Reform in the MENA Region

By Roza Mohammed Abstract: Many countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region are going through a transformation in their employment/recruitment and selection practices within the public sector, this has led to reforms in the public sector. In the past decade, the MENA region has survived many socioeconomic and...

The debate over Iraqi Kurdistan’s share of the federal budget

Ahmed Tabaqchali Introduction The current debate over the interpretation of the 2019 budget that governs the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) share of the federal budget in return for contributing 250,000 bbl/d to federal oil exports has echoes of the first conflict in April 2012 on the issue. The adept quote above...

A Sovereign Wealth Fund for Iraq

Once used by only a few countries around the world ,Sovereign Wealth Funds( SWF )are becoming an increasingly common feature of international finance†and state-led economic development .An increasing number of countries ,predominantly developing countries, who rely on the export of commodities such as hydrocarbons and minerals are creating SWF portfolios .The exact motivation behind creating...

Designing a Successful Approach to Public Financial Management Reform in Iraq

The path to recovery and reconstruction in post-conflict Iraq is fraught with pitfalls. The new government will need to tread carefully if it is to maintain macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline, while trying to address the urgent needs of citizens through improved service delivery, job creation and protecting security...

Iraq’s State-Owned Enterprises: A Case Study for Public Spending Reform

Among the most important questions awaiting the next Iraqi government will be how to rein in public sector spending while simultaneously addressing the needs of 2.5 million unemployed Iraqis who urgently require jobs. With the national unemployment rate currently at 16percent, there is consensus within policymaking circles that job...

The Effects of the Turkish Currency Plunge

The escalating dispute between the United States and Turkey has strained ties between the two NATO members to a point not seen since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded Northern Cyprus, which pushed relations to the verge of collapse.  The current crisis in Turkey is due to a number of factors,...

Combating Corruption … Using Data Extraction Techniques in e-Government

The term "Big Data" is a broad definition that covers all data relating to institutions and individuals. Data extraction is one way of accessing information. Data extraction techniques reveal the information behind the data and how to interpret it. In other words, it is defined as a process used to...

Incentivising the private sector to develop domestic tourism in Iraq

  Domestic tourism - historically - is the primary form of tourism that persists to this today and represents the bulk of global tourism activity. Economists at the World Tourism Organisation estimate that domestic tourism at the global level represents two-thirds of total tourism. Domestic or local tourism is a tourist...