Saleh Al-Douhaik, Ahmet Al-Ali, Baladi News
The Syrian government Ministry of Commerce issued on Thursday a decision to raise the prices of a number of basic materials such as fuel "Petrol and diesel" and gas in the regime-held areas which was received with different reactions among the popular community within and outside the regime-held areas.
The decision included raising the fuel and gas prices by almost 20%, as the price of diesel has risen from 135 to 180 SYP per liter, while the price of petrol has increased from 160 to 225 SYP per liter, whereas the price of gas has risen from 1800 to 2500 SYP (30 %) per cylinder.
The decision has received several reactions as people of the regime-held areas considered it a shame on their government which is still adding to the suffering of the citizens. They strongly cursed and criticized their government through social networking sites by phrases of discontent and ridicule.
In the liberated areas, the decision left no echo among the public because it's not very important to them, especially that the liberated areas depend in getting the fuel on the ISIS-held areas, which are facing many obstacles especially the latest constrictions imposed by "Syrian Democratic Forces" who are controlling Afrin area that is considered the only crossing for fuel to reach the northern part of Syria (Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib, and Hama) which led to a significant increase in fuel prices as the price of one barrel of diesel reached more than 60 thousand SYP.
Abu Muhammed, one of the gas merchants indicated that these decisions will reflect negatively of the liberated areas, especially with gas, which consider the regime-held areas their main supplier to the northern areas through purchasing gas from the areas of the eastern countryside of Hama, the villages of Abu Dali and their surroundings, which secure the crossing of gas convoys to the north in exchange for bribes and big amounts of money. The high prices of gas in the regime-held areas will increase the cost again and consequently affect the liberated areas.
It should be noted that the decision of raising the price of fuel in the regime-held areas preceded by a 15 $ increase for the state employees.