Nineveh private fuel station operators reject blame for gasoline shortages

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Private fuel station operators in Nineveh have rejected accusations that they are responsible for a gasoline shortage and long queues across the province, calling on authorities to review the data before assigning blame. Faisal al-Akidi, head of the local petroleum sector association, told a press conference that the allegations are being denied outright and that officials should first examine concrete figures. Al-Akidi said the province has 36 state-run stations compared with 153 private outlets. Private stations receive about 900,000 liters per day, while government stations take roughly 2.4 million liters of the area's 3.3 million-liter daily share. Private operators receive only one tanker per day, whereas public stations receive four to five, which al-Akidi said forces private stations to close early. He added that the Oil Products Distribution Company reduced Nineveh's allocation, while a price increase in the Kurdistan Region created additional demand. Al-Akidi said the province holds 420,000 electronic fuel coupons, requiring more than 4 million liters of gasoline per day to meet current needs.