Fear of Powerful Politicians Causes ‘Corruption That Slows the Economy,’ Iraq’s Oil Minister Says

  • Date: 12-Jun-2021
  • Source: Newsweek
  • Sector:Oil & Gas
  • Country:Gulf
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Fear of Powerful Politicians Causes ‘Corruption That Slows the Economy,’ Iraq’s Oil Minister Says

Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail blames indecision and delays in the ministry on fear of powerful lawmakers whose interests are not served, the Associated Press reported.

"This is the culture: To stay away from any case, to stay away from inspectors, to say, 'Let us not do it.' I think this is the corruption that slows the economy," he told the AP.

While oil minister, Ismail tried to fast-track projects. He said he is hopeful the coming months will bring signed contracts to develop key projects that could boost Iraq's gas capacity by 3 billion cubic feet by 2025.