MP Muhammad Jabbar Al-Shammari confirmed on Saturday that Iraq's continued practice of selling oil under the offered system represents a failure in the performance of the Ministry of Oil, holding the ministry and its minister responsible for not prioritizing the issue of owning oil tankers, which would ensure the enhancement of Iraq’s capabilities in marketing its oil wealth.
Al-Shammari stated in a statement reviewed by the News Video Agency that "the minister managing the Ministry of Oil for four years without presenting a serious proposal to purchase oil tankers and address this issue bears the responsibility for the mismanagement in the sector," noting that "Iraq owning a fleet of tankers would strengthen its ability to manage oil transportation and marketing operations."
He added that "the primary responsibility lies with the Ministry of Oil, as it is the authority responsible for preparing the necessary plans and projects to develop the oil sector," and for proposing "solutions that ensure benefiting from Iraqi capabilities and reducing reliance on existing mechanisms."
Al-Shammari pointed out that "the continuation of work under the current system raises questions about the reasons for not taking practical steps to address this issue," stressing the "need for the ministry to provide a clear vision and actionable proposals to develop oil marketing and transportation operations."
He indicated that "if the Minister of Oil had submitted a project to purchase tankers and the government did not approve it, this reveals a governmental dysfunction in dealing with this issue," asserting that the responsibility is not limited to the ministry alone, but also extends to the governmental bodies responsible for decision-making and providing the necessary allocations."
It is worth noting that Iraq relies on the system of selling oil on board the tanker (FOB), which results in lowering the price of the sold barrel, whereas purchasing modern oil tankers would have provided these funds to the state's treasury. Iraq continues to sell under this system because the tankers it currently owns are small and do not meet the ambition, unlike modern tankers capable of transporting one million barrels or more directly to the consumer.