Shafaq News- Baghdad
The Iraqi parliament voted on Monday to approve a package of recommendations to address the country's electricity crisis, including reopening all corruption cases related to the Electricity Ministry dating back to 2005 and strengthening oversight.
According to a statement, the measures require the ministry to submit a detailed annual plan before each summer season outlining completion rates, implementation timelines, and performance indicators, with regular reviews by parliament. The suggestions also call for reviewing all contracts and projects awarded through exemptions or found to lack technical or economic viability, while taking legal action against those responsible for wasting public funds.
They further called for adopting a national renewable energy program by expanding the use of solar power systems for households and the agricultural and industrial sectors to ease pressure on the national grid and reduce fuel consumption. The Central Bank of Iraq, in coordination with public and private banks, was tasked with launching a soft-loan initiative offering subsidized or interest-free financing, flexible repayment terms, and simplified guarantees for citizens wishing to install solar power systems. In addition, the Electricity Ministry was directed to establish technical and administrative mechanisms to facilitate connecting solar power systems to the national grid.
Read more: Iraq needs ≈25M solar panels to ease power crisis
A joint committee comprising the parliamentary committees on Electricity, Finance, Planning, Investment, Oil, Services, and Integrity will oversee implementation of the measures and submit periodic progress reports to parliament on achievement rates and obstacles.
Earlier today, Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib reportedly told parliament that Iraq needs 60,000 MW of electricity but is generating only 20,000 MW after losing about 7,000 MW of capacity. He pledged to restore 9,000 MW within 15 days through increased Iranian gas supplies and discussions with Turkiye on electricity imports.