Baladi News – Lattakia (Abu Ammar Al-ladqani)
A campaign went viral on Assad’s pro- social networks calling to boycott the only two mobile network providers in the country, namely MTN and Syriatel, which are owned by Rami Makhlouf, cousin of the regime president Bashar al Assad, after a decision to raise the calling rates and the SURF lines prices.
The protest was supervised by a number of pro-regime social networks such as “Lattakia Now” and “Syrian Coast News Network” that quoted a Syrian official as saying “Raising the calling rates is evidence of the failure of the terrorist groups”. This strange and irrelevant statement caused anger among the followers of the page, whose comments reflected dissatisfaction with such a decision.
“Aya al Bahar”, one of the followers commented, “We should expect that fees will be imposed on our breath and raise its rate”.
“Judy MH”, A follower of “Lattakia Heart” network, commented, “Rami Makhlouf was a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. When he started Syriatel, he wanted it to be a joint-stock company, but now he revealed his true colors. He gives no consideration to us, although he knows that most families are below the poverty line and that their sons are serving in the army. However, the government is to blame for that.”
Wahid, one of Lattakia inhabitants said that according to a friend working in the government communications Company, “Raising the rates is attributed to the increase of fees on private telecommunications companies by the government which has 51% share in the profits”
The speaker added, “The campaign gained traction among students, teachers, and residents. Dozens of subscribers went to Syriatel and MTN centers to stop their SURF lines and replace their postpaid SIMs with prepaid ones due to difficult economic situations caused by the five-year regime’s war”.