On Wednesday, the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’a Al-Sudani, conducted a meeting to talk about the proposed federal oil and gas law.
The media office of the Sudanese has released a statement stating that several political leaders, foreign affairs and oil & industry ministers, the adviser to the minister of natural resources in the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, along with several technical and legal advisors and experts attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the latest versions of the draft law were reviewed by the technical and legal committees. The details and provisions of the law were discussed, and efforts were made to finalize the draft for approval by the Council of Ministers and eventual legislation by the House of Representatives. All actions were taken in accordance with legal and constitutional protocols.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the significance of the draft oil and gas law for Iraq. He regarded it as a vital law that could promote unity and strength in the country. Despite being stuck for years, Iraq needs to pass this law urgently to benefit from its natural wealth across all sectors. The Prime Minister also highlighted that the law could help resolve several outstanding issues. Additionally, he expressed concern that some governorates have not utilized their wealth yet, which could hamper development efforts in all areas.
He stated that the law is a crucial aspect of the ministerial curriculum that was approved by the House of Representatives. The law will uphold constitutional principles, ensuring a just distribution of oil wealth, promoting economic growth in all areas, and supporting the government’s priority of economic reform.
Al-Sudani has instructed the creation of a ministerial committee to oversee technical discussions between the Federal Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the region. The governors of the oil-producing provinces, namely Basra, Maysan, Kirkuk, and Dhi Qar, as well as the government oil companies’ general managers, have been invited to participate in these ongoing dialogues. The purpose of these discussions is to finalize the law and complement the political dialogue so that the bill can be submitted.
The law regarding oil and gas is a significant point of discrepancy between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region. Despite four parliamentary sessions, the parties have not been able to come to an agreement on this matter.
In the current parliamentary session, the political blocs aim to resolve their differences and come to agreements that will satisfy all parties involved in order to successfully pass the law.
