Iraqi lawmakers are renewing calls to pass the country’s long-delayed oil and gas law, which has been held up for years by disagreements between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The proposed law is intended to establish clearer rules for managing Iraq’s oil and gas resources, exports and revenues. However, disagreements over the powers of the Kurdistan Region and the distribution of oil income continue to stand in the way.
Former MP Rasul Radhi said Kurdish leaders oppose the law because they believe it could limit the region’s control over oil exports and revenue.
Radhi explained that the legislation would require oil exports to pass through the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), with revenues transferred to the federal Ministry of Finance through the federal banking system.
He claimed that the Kurdistan Region had delayed the law since 2014 because its current approach to selling oil outside federal arrangements would become more restricted if the legislation were approved.
However, MP Qaisar al-Jurani, a member of Parliament’s Oil and Gas Committee, said the bill has been presented to Parliament several times but has not reached a vote.
Al-Jurani said the government has not yet submitted the latest version, meaning lawmakers are still waiting to begin reviewing its articles. He added that political agreement would be necessary before a vote could take place.
He stressed that the law is important because disputes over oil exports from the Kurdistan Region without Baghdad’s approval have created continuing problems in Iraq’s oil sector, which remains a major source of government revenue.
Al-Jurani also said the Kurdistan Region wants greater powers under the proposed law, including access to information about oil exports, production and exploration. These issues will need to be addressed during negotiations over the legislation.
Firas al-Muslawi, spokesperson for the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, said the oil and gas law is among the most frequently postponed pieces of legislation in Parliament.
He explained that both political disagreements and technical issues have prevented its approval, particularly objections from the Kurdistan Region and Kurdish parliamentary blocs.
Al-Muslawi said passing the law could help establish a fairer system for distributing Iraq’s oil wealth among its provinces. However, he stressed that Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government must first resolve their outstanding disputes and reach an agreement that protects the rights of all parties.