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Iraqi Kurdistan’s electricity ministry ‘planning’ to provide 24-hour power supply

Iraqi Kurdistans electricity ministry planning to provide hour power supply
Iraqi Kurdistan’s electricity ministry ‘planning’ to provide 24-hour power supply

2019-07-13 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq News

Omed Ahmed, Director of Electricity Control in Iraqi Kurdistan, July 12, 2019. Photo: Screengrab/NRT TV

HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The Ministry of Electricity in the new cabinet of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is planning to provide 24-hour power to the region’s residents, an official said on Friday.

Director of Electricity Control in the Kurdistan region Omed Ahmed told NRT TV that the ministry of electricity had “rapid plans” to tackle the issue of power in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Up to 3,500 megawatts of power is produced in the Kurdish region, he added. Demands, however, are nearly 5,000 megawatts.

“The ministry continuous to increase [power production],” he said, adding the priority of the new KRG cabinet is to increase the provision of power to the residents.

General-Director of Power Production at the Ministry of Electricity Dyar Tahir said in June that the ministry was looking to sign agreements with a number of companies to establish local solar power stations.

Blackouts are a major problem in the Kurdistan Region specifically and Iraq more generally, especially during period of increased demand during the summer and winter.

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

The region suffers from regular power-cuts and residents rely on private generators to complement the average eight hours per day of electricity that the government provides.

Electricity shortages occur in Iraqi Kurdistan every year during the summer and winter due to increased demand. Despite promises from KRG officials, the long-running electricity issue has not yet been solved.

Iraqi Kurdistan is considered as the most corrupted part of Iraq. According to Kurdish lawmakers and leaked documents billions of dollars are missing from Iraqi Kurdistan’s oil revenues.

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.

In 2016, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member, allocated $375 million USD to Mass Global Energy Sulaimaniyah in order to provide electricity to Iraq, and to the Kurdistan Region in particular.

Copyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | nrttv.com

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