August
26, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG)’s prime minister promised Kurdish
parliamentarians during a meeting on Wednesday to
allow them access to all documents related to the
KRG’s controversial oil contracts, exports and
revenues, said the head of the major opposition
group in Kurdistan parliament.
In a meeting intended to mend fences with opposition
groups in the parliament, PM Salih and KRG’s
minister of energy and natural resources, Ashti
Hawrami, explained in detail the oil contracts
signed with foreign firms, and how the oil revenues
were spent.
The meeting came after recent controversies over
KRG’s handling of oil dossier.
Reports by the local and international media have
accused the KRG of exporting thousands of barrels of
crude oil to Iran on a daily basis despite
international sanctions on Tehran, a charge that the
Kurdish government has vehemently denied.
Speaking to aknews, Adnan Osman, the head of the
major opposition bloc, Gorran (Change) said,
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Dr Barham Salih, Prime minister of Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) |
“We stressed the need
for the integrity, industry, energy and finance
committees in the parliament to be able to
investigate all the documents regarding oil
contracts, exports and revenues and then hold a
meeting in the parliament to discuss the outcomes.”
“Part of the discussion was what kind of a role the
parliament should play in this matter and we said
there needs to be more coordination between the
government and parliament,” Osman added.
Osman said the oil and gas law passed by the
Kurdistan parliament in 2007 has not taken effect
yet and needs to be put to practice now.
KRG’s energy minister said during a press conference
last week that the oil contracts signed by the KRG
with 17 foreign firms are all constitutional.
He also said the Kurdistan Region has not exported
crude oil to Iran, although the Iraqi Constitution
allows it to do so.
Hawrami said the KRG spent $700 million in 2009 to
buy gasoline from outside in order to operate power
plants in Kurdistan. But thanks to the increase in
domestic production,www.ekurd.netthis
year the regional government to date has only spent
$80 million on fuel for the plants.
Hawrami added Kurdistan’s oil income does not exceed
$200 million which is deposited at a special account
in the KRG’s ministry of finance.
Following media report on Kurdistan’s oil, the Iraqi
government said it will launch an inquiry into the
matter and warned the KRG not to export crude oil
without Baghdad’s consent.
Copyright, respective
author or news agency, aknews com
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