Main Policy Failures and the necessity of effective reforms of the Iraqi Power Sector. By Barik Schuber* Since 2004 Iraq had 8 Ministers of Electricity. All of them were electrical engineers, except one, Dr. Luay al-Khatteeb. All of them were not able to solve the long-lasting problem of ensuring sufficient power supply to the suffering Iraqi population. The present minist
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Iraq’s long-running electricity dilemma is now a daily source of public misery. The struggle of the power generation and distribution system to keep up with relentless demand caused by almost free electricity, especially as temperatures soar to record levels of over 120 degrees, is likely to get worse without reforms. While the problems facing this critical sector may be num
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Having already started the year in a fragile position, Iraq entered 2020’s oil price crisis under visibly different circumstances to the previous crash of 2014-15; In 2015, Iraq was the world’s second-largest contributor to global liquids growth accounting for approximately 75% of OPEC production growth. The launch of a new crude grade – Basra Heavy and the build-out of new e
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At its core, regulation is about freedom to do business. Regulation aims to prevent worker mistreatment by greedy employers (regulation of labor), to ensure that roads and bridges do not collapse (regulation of public procurement), and to protect one’s investments (minority shareholder protections). All too often, however, regulation misses its goal, and one inefficiency replac
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A typical Iraqi individual From the outset, let me say that I am an Iraqi in every sense of the word. My one goal in life was to pursue a career in energy as a petroleum engineer and serve my country. Despite several setbacks in my younger years, I secured my dream job, but it came at a cost. In 1971, I was sentenced to death in absentia on trumped-up charges that led to
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