SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Motorists in Iraq lined up for fuel on Thursday after some owners of petrol stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel distribution and pricing.
The official state news agency INA reported that the federal government had ordered some government-run fuel stations to operate around the clock to meet demand.
Dozens of vehicles queued at petrol stations that remained open, according to AFP.
Some owners of petrol stations have denounced the method of fuel distribution imposed by the authorities, complaining they end up paying more for the quantity of fuel they receive from the government than what they say it is worth.
The Iraqi agency in charge of distributing petroleum products said in a statement that the owners of the closed stations were “manufacturing crises and obstructing the distribution of gasoline to citizens”, AFP reported.
Owners do not have the right to stop supplies, it said, and “inspection committees will identify all stations that contravene instructions.”
Those that have shut their pumps face having their licenses suspended and supplies of oil stopped, the agency stated.
Iraq is the second largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and oil provides more than 90 percent of its income.
