Every week, the decisions and data behind Iraq's energy, water and climate policy, read from ministries, the cabinet and official statements. Every item links to its source.

The dinar moves to 1,500 per dollar

Cabinet Resolution 544 set the official tiers at 1,500 / 1,510 / 1,520 from 7 October, up from 1,300 / 1,310 / 1,320, and ended the advance collection of customs duties. The Prime Minister told parliament the alternatives were forced savings, paying salaries every 45 days or more borrowing, citing public debt of 208 trillion dinars and a cash need of 10 trillion a month. The Central Bank told parliament the rate is final.

Why it matters. Each oil dollar now buys about 15% more dinars for the salary bill, but imports, including fuel and power equipment, cost more. Exchange shops quoted 1,665 on 12 October.

Sources: Rudaw · Finance Ministry via Iraqi News · Shafaq, PM to parliament · Shafaq, exchange shops

Draft 2027 budget: 217 trillion dinars

A Finance Committee member says the draft assumes oil at $58, exports of 4 million barrels a day and the new rate, with a 50 trillion deficit. It is due in parliament by 15 October.

Why it matters. Exports are running at 2.7 million barrels a day, so the deficit is likely understated. Iraq has spent 2026 without a budget law.

Sources: Shafaq

Customs revenue up 32%

The General Customs Authority collected 442.27 billion dinars in September, against 334.20 billion a year earlier.

Why it matters. A rare rising revenue line, but small next to a 10 trillion dinar monthly cash need.

Sources: Shafaq

Zero flaring: North Oil by 2027, nationwide by 2029

The Deputy Oil Minister for Gas announced 80 million cubic feet a day of extra associated gas from Bai Hassan, North Jambur and Khabbaz by end-2026, and a target to use all flared gas at North Oil Company by end-2027. The ministry then set end-2029 for zero flaring across all fields.

Why it matters. Official data show federal companies still flared 45.3% of their gas in 2023.

Sources: Ministry of Oil · 964

PM presses TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips on gas

On 11 October the Prime Minister met both companies' chief executives about associated gas, including at Basra's Bin Umar field, and said Iraq aims to stop importing gas within a few years.

Why it matters. Replacing Iranian gas for power plants depends on capturing the gas Iraq now burns.

Sources: Prime Minister's Office

Exports back near 2.7 million barrels a day

The Oil Ministry spokesman put exports at 2.7 million barrels a day, about 2.4 million from the south and 250,000–300,000 from the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk, earning $4.5–5 billion a month.

Why it matters. Still short of the 10 trillion dinars a month the state says it needs: the arithmetic behind the devaluation.

Sources: The New Region

Power imports: Turkey up, Jordan lapsed, Gulf link waiting

Imports from Turkey reached 600 MW, with a second phase aimed at about 2,000 MW. The Jordan contract ended in September, and the 500 MW Gulf link is 98% built on the Iraqi side but waits on Kuwait.

Why it matters. Turkey is the only import route growing into winter.

Sources: INA (Arabic)

Winter crop plan 40% larger

Cabinet approved the 2026–27 plan: 4 million tonnes of wheat bought at 700,000 dinars a tonne for farms up to 1,000 dunams. The minister put the area at 7.49 million dunams, against about 4.5 million last season.

Why it matters. A bet on recovered reservoir storage; no split between river and groundwater irrigation has been published.

Sources: 964, cabinet decisions · Shafaq, minister (Arabic)

Dam safety gets its own money

The national water committee, chaired by the Prime Minister on 5 October, made a full dam inspection a priority, moved Mosul Dam's daily-wage workers onto contracts for its foundation works and ordered legal action against polluters of the Diyala River. A day later, cabinet raised the hydropower fee from 150 fils to 10 dinars per kWh, with 80% going to dam maintenance.

Why it matters. Dam upkeep now has a dedicated revenue line, not only the annual allocation.

Sources: INA (Arabic) · 964

New climate plan: up to 22% by 2035

Iraq launched its updated NDC on 7 October: unconditional cuts of up to 3% below business-as-usual by 2030 and 5% by 2035, plus a further 17% by 2035 conditional on international finance and technology.

Why it matters. Most of the ambition depends on outside money, so climate finance is now the test, and COP31 is where Iraq must make the case. Disclosure: Enlil's director contributed to the mitigation data for this NDC.

Sources: INA (Arabic)

Two ministries clash over the Tigris

On 11 October the Health Ministry denied dumping hospital waste in rivers; the Environment Ministry said the national environmental emergency declared in late September remains in force.

Why it matters. An emergency needs one agency with enforcement power, and that is still unsettled.

Sources: INA, Environment · INA, Health

Official, company-declared gas-flaring data from seven years of Iraq EITI reports, plus the dinar's official rate and the Central Bank's rate tiers.

Gas flared by oil company, 2023 →

Share of gas flared, 2017–2023 →

Official exchange rate since 2004 →

Central Bank rate tiers →

•  2027 draft budget due in parliament by 15 October.

•  A lawmaker's Federal Supreme Court challenge to Resolution 544.

•  First Iraqi crude convoy by truck to Syria, expected mid-October (Syrian officials).

Iraq Policy Monitor is published weekly by Enlil Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, Baghdad. We summarise and link; we do not republish. Spot an error? Reply and we will correct it next week.

enlilcenter.org · Header photo: Mohammed Sardar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0