Local
Amidst the rapid economic changes witnessed across the country and their direct reflections on the daily livelihoods of citizens, official demands emerged from the heart of Najaf Al-Ashraf calling upon the executive authorities to find radical solutions for the foreign currency file. In this context, Najaf Friday prayer leader, Sayyid Sadr al-Din al-Qubanji, suggested during the Friday sermon that the government should move towards distributing the salaries of public sector workers in US dollars, as a step aimed at protecting the purchasing power of employees under current financial challenges and ongoing fluctuations in local markets. On another front, the preacher touched upon humanitarian stances, announcing and praising the initiative launched by the Holy Husseini Shrine, which involves receiving Palestinian patients arriving to receive treatment, while fully bearing all hospitalization and transportation costs completely free of charge. He considered that this step carries profound indications reflecting the humanitarian role of the supreme religious authority and the positions of society's components towards the issues of the Islamic nation and various Muslims. Regarding the crisis of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates, the preacher pointed to complete solidarity with widespread popular demands, calling on the government apparatus to necessarily re-evaluate related economic decisions. He drew attention to the structure of the national economy based on diversifying resources, explaining that financial revenues depend primarily on oil exports, alongside the religious tourism sector which constitutes a limited percentage of those total public revenues of the state. He concluded the presentation by emphasizing the importance of addressing temporary technical obstacles facing crude oil shipping and export operations, especially after official confirmations stating that vital waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, remain available for the movement of giant tankers that carried millions of barrels last month. He stressed that if challenges associated with the decline in the value of the local currency persist, activating the proposal to disburse salaries in dollars remains an option worthy of serious study by competent authorities to ease living burdens on the Iraqi street.
