KRG "Sets the Record Straight" on Oil Exports

MNR is therefore well ahead of the money gathering schedule compared to the agreed program, despite the difficulties and the flow interruptions.

The money flow management and transfers through KIB and HalkBank are solely assigned to the Ministry of Finance. But Ministry of Finance has been unable to bring all the oil revenues into Kurdistan for reasons cited below:

• Minister of Finance has not been able to take the procedural and administrative steps to take financial responsibility for the Minister of Finance with the HalkBank to improve on the flow of the funds into Kurdistan. It is understood that this is because of direct political interference by some people in his own party, in order that they can shift the blame to MNR for the delay payment to the Peshmerga, and the government employees.
• Also there are some recognized difficulties in bringing dollars into Kurdistan via the KIB in a timely manner and converting them into dinar to pay salaries. Ministry of Finance is working on solution to these difficulties, and MNR has always been ready to assist if needed.

In Summary

• MNR has stuck to the task at hand and continues to deliver for the people of Kurdistan.

•  MNR operates on professional and technical basis throughout all its organisations, contrary to the myths circulated by certain politicians and their media outlets; MNR does not allow party politics to interfere with its work.

• MNR defends the interests of the people of Kurdistan against political interference and is taking the lead in helping to secure the economic stability of Kurdistan and its future.

• MNR also believes that the Minister of Finance is doing an excellent job at his ministry, but to be more effective and more successful, he should not be hindered by political influences in a way that damages the interest of the people of Kurdistan Region.

• Minister of Finance should be supported and authorised as soon as possible in its program of economic reform and MNR is ready to assist side by side in this process.

• MNR is confident that providing there are no future big interruptions, whether through sabotage or theft or indeed political interferences or back tracking on agreed export policies, the immediate needs of the people of the Kurdistan can be met through continued direct oil sales.

• And the doors of the KRG should always remain open for dialogue and discussion with our colleagues in Baghdad on ways to resolve all outstanding issues on oil and gas and develop long term cooperation that could lead to a win-win situation for all concerned.

•  Finally at this is time of difficulty, MNR calls upon all Kurdistan political parties to put aside their narrow and often damaging self-serving agendas, not to use oil as a political football thus undermining our ability to maintain the trust of the buyers and the oil company investors in our Region. We also hope that the political parties come to our active support in a united way to allow the MNR to do its proper work in the face of the crisis facing the Region and act in the interests of the people of Kurdistan, whom they aspire to serve.

(Source: KRG)