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Jordan asks Iraq for repayment of business debts

November 8, 2014 at 3:20 pm

Representatives of businesses in Jordan are asking the government in Iraq to cover payments for goods supplied during the Saddam era, informed sources have claimed. The amount being sought is around $522 million.

The two countries had a commercial protocol during Saddam’s time as president in Baghdad through which Iraq supplied Jordan with oil at a preferential rate in return for consumer goods, including food. Jordan used to pay for Jordanian companies to export goods for Iraq. However, some of the companies signed deals with the Iraqi government directly and not under the terms of the protocol.

According to exporter Khalid Al-Sharida, such companies have never been paid by the Iraqi government. He said that their demands were approved and recognised by both Baghdad and Amman.

Iraq’s ambassador in the Jordanian capital, Jawad Abbas, told Anadolu news agency that a ministerial delegation from Amman is due to visit Iraq to discuss the financial dossier. This will include the demands of the Jordanian Central Bank over $1 billion said to be owed by Iraq for goods supplied during the Saddam era.

Meanwhile, Iraq has called for the transfer of its money frozen by Jordanian banks following an international resolution when Saddam Hussein as overthrown.

Jordan’s Public Statistic Department added that exports to Iraq increased in the first quarter of this year to $421.5 million compared with total exports of $1.6 billion. In the same period last year, exports totalled $267.9 million. This represents an 18 per cent increase.