The Oil Ministry on 17 December announced further restrictions on purchasing petrol in the country, a week after it first implemented temporary rationing to combat a severe national shortage. 'The [oil] minister decided to again ration the distribution of gasoline,' said Abdul Saheb Salman Qotb, adviser to the interim Oil Minister, Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum. 'Each motorist from now on cannot get more than 30 litres, compared with 50 litres previously.' During the rationing, Iraqis will be able to purchase their petrol allowance for NID 20 ($0.01) a litre.