Why does Iraq import gasoline and gas despite exporting oil? An economist answers

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[size=52]Why does Iraq import gasoline and gas despite exporting oil? An economist answers[/size]

[size=45]Economic researcher, Duraid Al-Shaker Al-Ghazi, revealed the reason behind the country’s import of petroleum derivatives such as gasoline and gas despite its export of oil outside the country, while he pointed out that there are mafias controlling this file to continue the import of these derivatives.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Ghazi pointed out that “over the past 20 years, the issue of importing petroleum derivatives has lacked a political and economic decision, despite the fact that there are many countries that have become rich due to their experiences and investment in these derivatives.” He noted that “the appointees, not the concerned ones, have not reached the point of being decision makers in this important issue.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Ghazi stated that “any country in the world has several refineries, while the production of these refineries is divided between domestic consumption and export, except in Iraq.” He pointed out that “it is funny that the state has established a refinery with a specific capacity in each governorate, and has not taken into account the oil production capacities, while they have not obtained the approvals of international organizations, as we in the country are aiming to establish a large refinery, but there is no noticeable result due to the mafias that control the import of derivatives.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Ghazi continued, “Despite the start of production at the Karbala refinery, in addition to some of the old refineries that have been restarted, they are operating poorly, which has made the government’s plans inconsistent with the expansion of domestic consumption, as there are many contradictory statements about meeting local needs and the abundance of various products that we hear from time to time.”[/size]
[size=45]The economic researcher added, “The availability of derivatives can be easily achieved by renting a refinery or two with high refining capacities in any country, where the government sends crude oil to it within the limits of our agreement with OPEC Plus, where the returns will be at least five times the establishment of a refinery or by importing oil derivatives.” He stressed, “Thus, we will save billions of dollars that will develop the productive sectors or be used to extinguish the problems that all government policies have failed to extinguish by investing in gas and ending its burning in the atmosphere to reach the stage of self-sufficiency and export, in addition to getting rid of the process of using water wells to extract oil, which causes thirst in agriculture and wastes water that we are in dire need of.”[/size]
[size=45]According to televised statements by Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani, Iraq is on track to achieve self-sufficiency in gasoline next year, with the increase in production from refineries, both existing ones and those to which new units have been added with the aim of increasing the country’s production of this widely used fuel.[/size]
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