Iraq Dinar Revaluation

Baghdad Invest

BAGHDAD -- The Iraqi Central Bank is planning to redenominate the national currency in an effort to ease transactions and allow people to carry less paper money.

Mudhhir Muhammad Salih, a member of a Central Bank advisory panel, told that a plan has been made to remove three zeros from the currency and phase out the current banknotes late this year.

Salih said the new banknotes will be fully introduced while the old banknotes will be gradually removed from circulation. He did not specify when the new notes would be issued.

Both will be legal tender in Iraq until the old notes are completely withdrawn.

Iraqi officials have had a long-running plan to redenominate the Iraqi dinar. In 2006, the Finance Ministry recommended to the Central Bank that it carry out such a plan.

Salih pointed out that banks are having a hard time accepting cash savings and deposits, but by dropping the zeros it will make it easier for both the banks to deal with their customers and for the general public to carry money. He said some 80 percent of Iraq's money supply is cash in circulation.

Salih added that in 1990 the value of banknotes in circulation was about 25 billion Iraqi dinars but is currently some 25 trillion dinars.

Economic analyst Hilal al-Tahhan told that the bank's move is overdue. He said he expects the currency change to go smoothly because of the decision to allow both the old and new banknotes to coexist, leading to less turbulence in the economy.

IMPORTANT - MAKE NOTE
In 2010, the Central Bank of Iraq announced their plans to redenominate the Iraqi Dinar to ease cash transactions. The intention would be to drop three zeros from the nominal value of bank notes; but the actual value of the dinar would remain unchanged. That would mean that 1,000 IQD (pre-redenomination) and 1 dinar (post-redenomination) would both be worth the same amount in US Dollars.
Although the announcement stated that the change would take place by the end of 2010, there has been no redenomination as of January 2011 and no further announcements have been made. As stated by the Central Bank of Iraq, their mandate is to "ensure domestic price stability and foster a stable competitive market based financial system."

Just our opinion. Your choice if you buy Iraqi dinars (IQD) as an investment. We certainly would advise against such investment vehicle. http://www.baghdadinvest.com/ does not support this investment stratergy and feel it prudent to make our point as we feel a lot of investors are being sold something that will remain only a dream.