Today, Thursday 13/2/2025, a workshop on activating banking sector participation in development was held at the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry building. The event was attended by Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil, Dr. Mohammed Shahab, Supervisor of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Kurdistan Region, Kamaran Salah Bajger and Maroof Aziz Khan Harki, Deputy Chairmen of Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kazim Namiq Ahmed, Director of the Central Bank of Iraq's Kurdistan Region branch, members of the Chamber's administrative council, several director generals from the Kurdistan Regional Government, experts, representatives of private banks in Kurdistan Region, and factory and company owners, in cooperation between Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Iraqi Private Banks Association.
At the beginning of the workshop, Kamaran Salah Bajger, Deputy Chairman of Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered a speech discussing the role of the banking sector in economic development and the importance of diversifying income sources, particularly in agriculture, tourism, and industry sectors. The Deputy Chairman thanked the Central Bank for supporting projects that use clean energy and all participating parties, expressing hope that the workshop's recommendations would enhance the banking sector's role in achieving development goals.
Then, Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil, delivered remarks thanking the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry for organizing this workshop, hoping that the topics and discussions would serve the economic and banking sectors in the Kurdistan Region. The Governor highlighted the Kurdistan Regional Government's steps in focusing on the banking sector, stating that despite several problems and obstacles, the regional government has managed to take good steps in this field, with the integration of public and private sectors and income diversification being fundamental to its work.
During the workshop, several issues were discussed through presentations and speeches, including Iraqi banking sector guidelines and plans, Central Bank of Iraq's directions for activating banking sector activities, the role of the banking sector in sustainable development, banking sector challenges and proposals, the role of the financial market, and financing major projects and renewable energy projects.
The workshop also discussed the benefit of Kurdistan Region's factories from Central Bank of Iraq and Iraqi government loans, with factory owners hoping to receive all privileges similar to other Iraqi cities, as well as the Central Bank's program for supporting and financing projects that use renewable energy for electricity generation.
It's worth noting that after the conclusion of the workshop, the discussions, topics, and recommendations will be submitted to relevant authorities for implementation.