Government tackles fuel shortage in capital

Plans to ease the fuel shortage in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, are running smoothly so far, according to the country's oil ministry. People who had to queue for up to 12 hours for fuel are now able to get it more easily. The ministry is following a new strategy based on car number plates and has allocated separate days for when drivers can buy petrol depending on whether their vehicle has a plate with odd or even numbers. "This way, people can get fuel from the filling stations in about half an hour," Ahmed Fadel, of the Ministry of Oil, told IRIN in Baghdad. The ministry also cancelled contracts of those guards and workers who used to sell fuel on the black market or at a higher price than the government's fixed rate of 50 dinars (US $0.30) per litre. "This system will be followed in all of the country. We are also going to make unexpected visits to petrol stations to charge those owners and staff who are dissenting. We have cancelled about 800 contracts of workers and excess official employees working at various fuel stations," Fadel continued. Meanwhile, many drivers have welcomed the new plans and told IRIN about the difficulties they had faced earlier in getting fuel. "Things are better now. I can get fuel in a short time instead of waiting for 12 hours. I hope it will stay like this and get better," one driver, Hassen Abd al-Rahman, told IRIN. "I hope these arrangements will continue for a long time. I hope they distribute special tickets to ensure our share of fuel, like the ones issued during Saddam's rule," local resident Zaid Ali told IRIN. "There are people who gain from this shortage by selling fuel on the black market for high prices such as 1,000 dinars (US $0.60) for a litre. Now things are better and I can get fuel in half an hour at the official price," driver Ahmed Mohsen told IRIN. The shortage started three months ago in Baghdad and other governorates. Iraqi officials said it was due to sabotage of crude oil pipelines which connect to the al-Dura refinery on the outskirts of Baghdad. Corruption has also played a role in the problem. "There is cooperation between the Ministry of Oil and the security department to protect the pipes and the pumping stations," Ferass Khadem of the security department in the Ministry of Oil told IRIN. Extra measures include people not being allowed to buy fuel by the container for generators from most of the stations, but from three stations only, to ensure a steady supply in the capital. Fadel said that each person was allowed to buy 20 litres of fuel to power generators, from three special places, two in the al-Kerkh district and one in the al-Resafa district of the capital. "We are also going to increase our fuel imports from other countries," he explained, adding that the ministry was also thinking about opening up the market. "The ministry is thinking about opening private stations to sell and transfer the oil products at commercial prices to protect the consumers from the black market."