On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Integrity Committee announced that they will be investigating the granting of dollars to travelers due to suspicions of corruption. They also warned citizens who received dollars from the electronic platform but did not travel that taxes may be imposed..
Ahmed Al-Rubaie, a member of the committee, informed Shafaq News Agency that the digital system for providing US dollars to travelers has become a source of corruption, whether directly or indirectly. He mentioned that multiple parties are involved, beginning with the Central Bank, since the flow of funds comes from the bank. Tourism companies receive passports and travel documents to reserve airline tickets or travel visas, while banking firms provide dollars to non-travelers.
Many citizens had travel tickets and visas but didn’t travel. As a result, their documents were withdrawn from the passenger platform, and the dollar was tampered with, leading to many complaints.
According to Al-Rubaie, the Parliamentary Integrity Committee has sent official letters to the Central Bank and the Integrity Commission in order to conduct transparent and high-level investigations. The issue at hand is potentially harmful to citizens who withdraw money in their names, and the taxes imposed on citizens could amount to billions of dinars.
The Rafidain State Bank has postponed the sale of dollars to travelers in some of its branches in Baghdad because the Central Bank of Iraq has not increased its share of the American currency.
