KRG Demands End to 'Discriminatory' Crude Oil Pricing by Baghdad
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has accused Baghdad of discriminating against the region by charging it $16 per barrel for crude oil, while refineries in other parts of Iraq receive it at a rate of around $4. The KRG's acting Natural Resources Minister Kamal Mohammed told reporters that the region has continuously called for an end to this 'discrimination' between residents of southern and central Iraq, and the Region.
The current allocation of 50,000 barrels of crude oil for the Region's domestic consumption is deemed insufficient by Mohammed, who stated that even at the lower price, it would be better than the $16 per barrel charge. The KRG has requested an increase in the allocated share to 126,700 barrels, which aligns with the region's population percentage of 12.67% of Iraq's total population.
The remarks echo Mohammed's earlier statement on August 12, when he said the KRG was ready to negotiate with Baghdad over the supply of subsidized fuel to the Region. The natural resources ministry spokesperson Ahmed Mufti told The New Region that the KRG is prepared to send its 50,000 barrels of oil allocated for domestic consumption to Baghdad if the Iraqi government provides subsidized fuel for the Region.