We have tabled an Interpellation Request against The KRG’s Minister of Natural Resources over the widespread corruption in the oil sector and oil revenues

We have launched an extensive investigation and monitoring on the KRG’s oil sector. We have submitted a formal request to the Kurdistan Parliament for an interpellation debate on the oil sector due to gross corruption in the amount of sold oil, oil revenues, selling oil reserves in the past, the contract of servicing companies and the monopolization of the KRG’s gasoline to two companies.

Following several parliamentary investigations on oil issue in different approaches, the Ministry of Natural Resources was not willing to disclose any data or information to us and to the people of Kurdistan regarding oil sector and its revenues. This move by the Ministry is contrary to all applicable laws and no minister has permissions to conceal information in any field from parliament, parliamentarians and citizens. Furthermore, rife corruption is widely suspected in such a situation since oil is one of the main sources of income in the Kurdistan Region and oil markets significantly witnessed price hikes since the beginning of 2021.

On the base of articles 68, 69, 70 of parliament's internal procedure, we have submitted a formal request to Parliament for the interpellation of Minister of Natural Resources. The request was signed by 24 members of parliament On October 1, 2021. We intend to closely question his actions and the ministry regarding this great and valuable wealth of the People of Kurdistan. If his answers were not completely convincing, we will ask him to resign immediately.

The people of Kurdistan are going through a difficult circumstance, public services are at a low level in many areas of life, and unemployment has become a serious threat to the lives of citizens, especially young people. However the government is bringing down the levels of income transparency day by day. The government appears to be absolutely identical to the extremely corrupted states around the world and is not willing to enforce laws related to transparency and accountability, which has put Kurdistan in a circumstance where the future is unknown and the daily life of people are getting harder every day.

Omar Abdullah Fattah (Gulpi)
Member of Kurdistan Parliament
December 2, 2021