IMF met Iraqi officials on rebuilding central bank

Source: Reuters

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday meetings with Iraqi finance officials in Jordan this week focussed on ways to help Iraq rebuild its central bank and other state financial institutions torn apart by war.

"The discussions were on how can the Fund support the reconstruction of Iraq," Agustin Carstens, IMF Deputy Managing Director, said.

"Basically we are engaging in an active way, helping them rebuild their central bank and the budgetary ministry and providing technical assistance in different areas of government," he told Reuters during a visit to Beirut.

Carstens, who did not attend the Jordan meetings, gave no more details.

The IMF and World Bank said on Wednesday they had met jointly with Iraq's interim finance minister Kamel al-Gailani, trade minister Ali Allawi and central bank governor Sinan al-Shibibi, as well as advisors from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority. But they did not give details of the economic and policy issues discussed.

IMF and World Bank teams halted work inside Iraq in August after a suicide bombing at the main United Nations office building in Baghdad, where they were based.

Since then, both lenders have conducted their Iraq rebuilding work from outside the country, saying the security situation is still too precarious for them to return there.

The IMF said late last month it was planning a series of talks with Iraqi officials on several economic issues.