ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday directed relevant authorities to swiftly resolve the emerging fuel crisis in the Region, stressing the need to prevent attempts at monopolizing the market.

Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) natural resources ministry, at the behest of Prime Minister Barzani, issued a directive to reduce gasoline prices and introduce pricing caps for the commonly used qualities.

Shortages caused by the renewed regional conflict and higher costs of materials needed to produce higher qualities of fuel have resulted in reduced supply at gas stations and higher prices across the Kurdistan Region in recent days.

In a meeting with representatives from the natural resources ministry and other relevant authorities, Barzani called for resolving the issue “as soon as possible, in a way that takes into account the interests of the citizens of the Kurdistan Region,” according to a statement from his office.

The Kurdistan Region’s gas stations offer three types of petrol of different quality to vehicles: “Normal,” which is the base quality, as well as “Improved” and “Super,” which have higher octane rates. Additionally, some government-affiliated stations offer subsided “Normal” fuel at lower prices.

During Monday’s meeting, the Kurdish premier directed the continued provision of subsidized “Normal” fuel at its current price to gas stations that have adhered to the government’s regulations and pricing caps, while revising the prices for “Improved” and “Super” to ensure compatibility with the market and “prevent unfair profits,” in addition to facilitating the import of chemicals used to produce the higher qualities of petrol.

The KRG also called on the Iraqi federal government to increase the Kurdistan Region’s allocated share of crude oil from the currently-alloted 50,000 barrels, to 126,700 barrels, in accordance with the Region’s population which makes up 12.67 percent of Iraq’s total population.

Lastly, the Kurdish premier directed exerting efforts to “prevent monopolies in the fuel sector, especially gasoline.”

In a presser earlier on Monday, Barzani said regional tensions and a shortage of oil allocated to the KRG from Baghdad for producing fuel have been the main causes for the recent price surges.

According to the premier, Erbil and Baghdad are in talks to increase the oil share for the Kurdistan Region.

A source from the natural resources ministry told The New Region on Sunday that the ministry is assessing potential price adjustments for “Improved” and “Super” gasoline to ensure higher costs do not become a burden on the private sector and allow importers to continue importing and selling fuel.

The proposals include raising the prices of both “Improved” and “Super” gasoline by 300 Iraqi dinars per liter, the source explained. Based on the proposal, “Super” gasoline would rise to 1,500 Iraqi dinars per liter, while “Improved” gasoline would increase to 1,300 Iraqi dinars per liter.