Central Bank of Iraq Launches Financial Inclusion Strategy

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has launched its first National Financial Inclusion Strategy, covering the period 2025-2029.

The initiative provides an integrated framework aimed at enabling all individuals and businesses to access the financial sector and use appropriate, secure financial services with consumer protection guarantees. The strategy is expected to contribute to both economic and social development.

Governor Ali Mohsen Al-Allaq emphasised the Bank's commitment to advancing financial inclusion domestically and through collaboration with regional and international partners. The strategy was developed in partnership with the World Bank Group, Arab Monetary Fund, Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), and Germany's Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), along with numerous local public and private stakeholders.

Key goals include:

 - Increasing the percentage of Iraqis with bank accounts
 - Strengthening consumer protection within the financial sector
 - Expanding the use of modern digital payment methods
 - Upgrading infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to support inclusion