SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdish drivers on Thursday protested in Garmian administration against high fuel prices in the Kurdistan Region.
Esta Media Network reporter said dozens of drivers blocked the main road between Kalar and Sulaimani in protest of a hike in fuel prices.
The drivers called on the government to drop prices, which have risen across the Kurdistan Region since Iraq’s October 10 elections.
One liter of “normal” gasoline in the patrol stations is sold at 900-1,000 dinars (58-62 cents), while “super” gasoline price is at 1,000-1,250 dinars.
Normal grade gasoline was sold at 500 Iraqi dinars (34 cents) at the start of 2021 but the prices rose to around 750 dinars per liter (51 cents) late this summer.
On Sunday, dozens of mini bus drivers protested in Sulaimani city against high gasoline prices in the Region.
The Kurdistan parliament’s committee of energy and natural resources agreed on Tuesday to summon the minister of natural resources, Kamal Atrushi, for questions over the high fuel prices.
On October 14, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) attributed the hike in fuel prices to the increasing global price of oil and to some shipments of refined gasoline being stopped at international borders, as the Region imports most of its gasoline from neighboring countries.
The prime minister had tasked the natural resources minister to visit Baghdad to solve the issue and to prepare a plan with private sectors for future imports of fuel, KRG spokesman Jotiar Adil said.
