For the second time, the Assad regime increases the price of gasoline by 50%, and “lines” await

The Syrian government has raised the price of gasoline by more than 50%, amid the worsening fuel shortage crisis and an accelerating economic collapse hitting the country, which has become accustomed in recent weeks at the sight of the queues in front of the gas stations.

This is not the first time that the Syrian government has raised the price of gasoline, at a time when the Syrian pound is falling rapidly.

The exchange rate recently crossed the threshold of 4,200 against the dollar on the black market, while the official exchange rate approved by the Central Bank is equivalent to 1,256 pounds against the dollar.

Stifling economic crisis

Syria, which entered its eleventh year this week, is going through a stifling economic crisis, which was recently exacerbated by measures to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic.

The Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection announced Monday evening on its Facebook page that it had adjusted the price of a liter of premium 90 octane gasoline “for the quantities allocated on the electronic card, subsidized and not taken into account. charge “, to 750 Syrians. pounds per liter after 475, an increase of about 58%.

The price of unsupported gasoline also rose to 2,000 pounds per liter, after it was 1,300 pounds, an increase of nearly 54%.

The ministry also decided to set the price for a domestic gas cylinder at 3,850 Syrian pounds, up from 2,700 pounds in the past.

This is the second time in 3 months, when the Syrian government approved an increase in the price of gasoline last January, so that the subsidized price per liter rose to 475 Syrian pounds, from 450 Syrian pounds, then yesterday he increased it considerably to 750 Syrian pounds per liter.

Losses close to $ 100 billion

Since the start of the conflict in 2011, Syria’s oil and gas sector has suffered significant losses estimated at $ 91.5 billion due to battles and declining production with the loss of control over major fields as well as economic sanctions imposed by Western countries, the latest of which is the sanctions announced Monday by Great Britain and affecting 6 Syrian officials.

The Syrian Ministry of Oil announced last week that “due to the delay in the arrival of supplies of petroleum derivatives under contract due to the sanctions and the American blockade”, it intended “to reduce the quantities of gasoline distributed by 15%. to the provinces and the quantities of diesel by 20% until the arrival of new supplies.

Long lines

Rising prices are exacerbating the suffering of Syrians, who wait in long lines for subsidized gasoline and complain about high prices and the continued rise in prices.

Today, the majority of Syrians live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations, while commodity prices across the country have doubled in the past year. 12.4 million people are food insecure, according to the World Food Program.

Rani (37), who buys food from factories and distributes it to small businesses, told AFP: “Today we will certainly have to increase the prices of our products to cover the increase in the price of food. ‘essence (…) matter will apply to everything. “

Last week Rani had to buy gasoline on the black market for £ 1,000 a liter. “We can’t stand for long hours (in front of the stations), so I’d rather buy gas than wait,” he explains.

He adds, “But there are those who can’t afford it (on the black market), so they have to wait many hours.”