Committee calls for transparency regarding oil law

[Stillw8n]

Committee calls for transparency regarding oil law

Baghdad, Nov. 15 (AKnews) – The details of the Oil and Gas Law and agreements between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on the management of oil wealth in the country must be revealed to public scrutiny the Oil and Energy parliamentary committee demanded Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussain al-Shahristani gave Exxon Mobil Corp. the choice to work in the south on the supergiant West Qurna field or in Kurdistan but not both. This confirms he rejects the company’s contract with the KRG showing Baghdad and Erbil are still divided over oil.
Committee member Furat al-Sharei told AKnews: “We reject any unclear agreements. The Iraqi government and KRG must deal on a transparent basis and the details of agreements must be revealed to the Committee which belongs to the highest legislative authority in the country.”

Adel Berwari, adviser to the Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region told AKnews a week ago that reports submitted to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about joint Baghdad-Erbil committees are “confidential” and will not be revealed to media.

The tension increased recently between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil after the KRG rejected the draft Oil and Gas Law approved by the Iraqi government in August in the absence of Kurdish representatives. Kurdistan Region believes the draft law gives the federal government power to manage oil wealth at the expense of the region.

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