Shafaq News- Erbil
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Monday asked Baghdad to raise the Kurdistan Region’s daily crude allocation from 50,000 to 126,700 barrels under measures adopted to address gasoline and fuel shortages.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani explained that the requested volume reflected the Kurdistan Region’s 12.67% share of Iraq’s population, as determined by the federal government.
The KRG will maintain the current price of government-subsidized regular gasoline and distribute it through filling stations that comply with ministry regulations. It will also review prices for improved and super gasoline, facilitate imports of chemicals used to produce both grades, and prohibit illicit profits and monopolistic practices in the fuel sector.
Earlier today, Barzani attributed the week-long shortage partly to regional tensions and rising global fuel prices. The KRG had already authorized fuel imports on July 4 after reduced supplies and higher prices contributed to shortages and queues.
Authorities in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region’s capital, also began using electronic cards and coupons on Monday to organize subsidized gasoline distribution amid recent shortages and queues, according to provincial measures.