Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's parliament voted on Monday on a set of recommendations to address the country's fuel crisis, including a review of recent increases in oil derivative prices, alongside votes on three other laws.

Lawmakers called for reconsidering Council of Ministers Decision No. 429 of 2026, which raised prices on oil derivatives, and for studying its economic and social impact, given its direct and indirect effects on transportation, production, and service costs.

They also urged the government to draft an urgent plan to prevent supply bottlenecks and recurring fuel shortages, ensure steady distribution across provinces, and submit a detailed report to parliament covering production, imports, consumption, costs, strategic reserves, and quantities supplied to each province. They further called for a clear timeline to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency in oil derivatives and reduce reliance on imports, along with tighter oversight of the fuel distribution system, from storage facilities to filling stations, and legal accountability for manipulation or smuggling.

Under the measures, the parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee will oversee implementation and submit periodic reports to the parliament speaker on steps taken and completion rates. Lawmakers also called for a review of senior appointments within the Oil Ministry based on specialization, and for resuming supplies of subsidized oil derivatives to farmers.

The package additionally addressed fuel shortages in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), calling for a review of white oil quantities supplied to the region and the urgent allocation of additional amounts with the onset of winter. Lawmakers also called for discussing the economic model for crude oil sales with the Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Committee, and directed the Oil Ministry to review hydrogenation contracts and remove underperforming companies from them.