A member of Iraq's Council of Representatives from the New Generation Movement has blamed monopolistic practices by ruling authorities for the fuel crisis in the Kurdistan Region, saying they have driven up gasoline prices and created major price disparities across the region.

MP Alleges Monopoly Drives Higher Fuel Prices

MP Kawa Abdulqadir said the fuel crisis stems from monopolistic control over the distribution of petroleum products. He stated that gasoline refined from the 50,000 barrels of crude oil allocated for domestic consumption should be sold at 450 Iraqi dinars per liter but is instead being sold for 750 dinars per liter, with only limited quantities reaching filling stations.

Price Gap Between Makhmour and Erbil

Abdulqadir pointed to the price difference between Makhmour and Erbil as evidence of what he described as an unequal pricing system.

He said gasoline in Makhmour, located about 30 kilometers from Erbil, is sold for 1,000 dinars less per liter than in Erbil, despite the short distance between the two areas.

Calls for a Unified Fuel Pricing System

The lawmaker also criticized the lack of a unified fuel pricing policy in the Kurdistan Region.

According to Abdulqadir, while gasoline is sold at a single official price across 15 Iraqi governorates, the Kurdistan Region's four governorates each have different prices for the same type of fuel, which he said reflects inconsistencies in the management of the region's energy sector.