The Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection in the Syrian regime, Amr Salem, considered that the decision to set prices for domestic and industrial gas sold on the black market “does not affect citizens,” despite the fact that many of them resort to using it.
Salem added, in a post on the ministry’s official page on “Facebook” today, Monday, October 25, that the decision to set prices comes with the aim of “preventing waste” and “rationalizing the quantities purchased” for many official agencies, ministries and institutions that rent gas in The black market, he said.
The minister also explained that the decision will "certainly" lead to saving gas canisters consumption, and to ensure a reduction in the waiting period for citizens to obtain their gas allocations through the "smart card".
Many residents in regime-controlled areas, as a result of the delay in receiving their gas allocations through the “smart card,” resort to buying gas cylinders from the black market at prices exceeding 100,000 Syrian pounds, and they vary from one seller to another without any government oversight over them.
While the head of the Damascus Countryside Restaurants Association, Adnan Radwan, explained that the decision to raise industrial gas prices on the black market will negatively affect the citizen, adding that he is against the decision.
Yesterday, Sunday, the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection set the price of a domestic gas cylinder at 30,600 Syrian pounds (equivalent to $8.50), outside the “smart card.”
It also set the price of an industrial gas cylinder at 49,000 Syrian pounds (equivalent to 14 US dollars) when selling to consumers and to all sectors outside the electronic card, according to what was reported by the Syrian News Agency (SANA).
The decision was widely criticized, due to the presence of gas in abundance on the black market, without government solutions that can provide it through the “card” at the subsidized price.
The price of a domestic gas cylinder sold through the “smart card” reaches 4,200 Syrian pounds, and one family is entitled to receive one cylinder (a jar) of it every 90 days, but receiving the message to receive the cylinder through the “card” is delayed for periods that may reach more than 60 days. additional.–
