ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's electric power supply to citizens this year will be more than the previous one, the country's electricity minister said Sunday, adding that Baghdad received 240 million cubic meters of gas from Tehran following the payment of debt.
"The Iranian side is currently supplying Iraq with 240 million standard cubic meters of gas per day," acting Electricity Minister Adil Karim was cited by state media as saying, attributing the large amount to the full payment of the $1.69 billion debt to Tehran.
However, the provision of 240 million cubic meters of gas by Iran still falls short of the 250 million that Iraq needs.
The minister added that payments to Iran for gas exports are now being made monthly.
Iraq's electricity production has also upped to 22,000 megawatts this year compared to last year's 21,000 megawatts, he continued, but mentioned that the country needs additional financial support to reach the required production rate of 35,000 megawatts.
Last month, Baghdad paid Tehran $1.6 billion in gas debt it owed, and Iran's petroleum minister said that the volume of its gas exports to Iraq has increased by 25 percent.
Iran has over the past year cut a substantial amount of natural gas supplies to Iraq, as the delay in setting a budget by the Iraqi federal government has impeded Baghdad's ability to repay over a billion dollars worth of debts owed to Tehran.
Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages, especially felt when summer temperatures reach scorching levels of over 50 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures subsequently lead citizens to consume very high amounts of power.
Energy expert Harry Istepanian said in June that Iraq's energy problems can be solved through reform in its energy sector.
