Iraq Kurdistan government blames ‘mafias’, ‘powerful figures’ for gas price spike

2020-02-02 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq News

Jutyar Adil, the spokesman of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Erbil, January 16, 2020. Photo: K24 TV

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Jutyar Adil on Sunday addressed a recent spike in the price of cooking gas in Erbil and Duhok by alleging that “mafias” and “powerful figures” have been interfering with deliveries.

Adil explained that, upon taking office last summer, the government decided to reform the procedures used to grant contracts and began issuing requests for tenders. As a result of the reformed process, a new company won the contract to supply propane, which is used widely in the Region for cooking and heating.

“The new company responsible for gas distribution was supposed to start their operation in 2020, but were prevented from doing so by some powerful figures in Garmian and Sulaimani who prevented the liquid gas that was allocated to Duhok and Erbil from reaching its destination, which led to an increase in the price of gas in these two governorates,” he said in a statement.

?“Over the past two days, the people who were mentioned complicated the matter further by using armed forces and showing violence against the company,” he added.

“The government will not stop its steps toward reform and will take extensive legal measures against all those mafias who break the law.”

He did not specifically identify an individuals by name as being responsible, but his statement carried an implied partisan accusation. Erbil and Duhok are controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) dominates Sulaimani and much of Garmian. The two currently sit in government together, but are bitter historic rivals.

Iraqi Kurdistan is not unified region, it is divided politically and geographically between the KDP led by Massoud Barzani and PUK led by the Talabani’s clan.

Kurdistan Region is currently experiencing some of the coldest weather of the season, making the price spike especially burdensome for residents. Many homes in the Region use gas heaters because electricity supplies are too unreliable to use electric heating. Moreover, gas is the most common fuel for cooking.

The price increase is especially galling given that Kurdistan Region is so rich in hydrocarbon resources, including natural gas.

Iraqi Kurdistan still suffers from electric power and gas deficiency 29 years of semi autonomy and Kurdish self-ruling.

The two ruling families of Barzani and Talabani have been routinely accused by critics of amassing huge wealth from oil business for their clans instead of serving the population.

For many years, transparency organizations, lawmakers, observers, and international organizations have accused senior Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government KRG officials of corruption, especially with regard to expropriation of the Kurdistan’s oil income.

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