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On Sunday, the Syrian Oil Ministry stopped supplying more fuel-efficient cars with subsidized gasoline, in a new austerity measure that reflects the need for Damascus to provide expenses and oil derivatives.
Syria is suffering, especially in the past two years, from a significant shortage of energy resources, especially gasoline and domestic gas cylinders, prompting the government to take a series of austerity measures to rationalize consumption.
The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Ali Ghanem, announced the suspension of the supply of private cars with engine capacity of “2000 cc” and above, and everyone who owns more than one car, be it an individual or a company, with subsidized gasoline, to use the revenues to be provided in “service projects”. And development “did not specify what it is.
Private cars, regardless of the capacity of their engine, were entitled to receive 100 liters of subsidized gasoline per month, provided that their owners bear any additional amount.
And those covered by the decision must now secure the fuel for their cars at their own cost, that is, at the unsupported price, which is set at nine thousand Syrian pounds (about $ 12) for the gasoline tank (20 liters), while receiving only five thousand pounds.
Ghanem explained, according to statements from the official news agency “SANA”, that “oil derivatives and crude oil supplied to Syria not only have their international prices, but also have an added value in transportation and remittance rates such as result of coercive economic measures “imposed on the government.
He explained that the decision “removes the subsidy in part from only nine percent” of the cars.
The decision sparked criticism on social media and on the street. “Does it make sense to spend more on my car than on my house? … I decided to sell it,” wrote actress Shukran Murtaja on her Facebook page.
Dozens of commentators shared the opinion, including Rami Abido, who wrote: “What is happening is an effort to bring money into the state fund from the layman’s pocket.”
Government officials consistently attribute the fuel crisis to economic sanctions imposed by various Arab and Western countries, which prevented the arrival of the tankers. And the U.S. sanctions against Tehran, Damascus’ main proponent, have exacerbated the fuel crisis in Syria, which depends on a line of credit linking it to Iran to secure it.
Ghanem said a few days ago that his country needs 146 thousand barrels of crude oil per day, while the product is currently 24 thousand barrels, which means that the daily gap is 122 thousand barrels.
Syria’s oil production prior to the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 was approximately 400,000 barrels per day. But the sector has suffered heavy losses, and most of the oil and gas fields remain under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the north and east of the country.
Syria is experiencing a severe economic crisis, which coincides with the successive collapse of the local currency, which is reflected in the rise in the prices of most basic products. Most Syrians are sliding below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. The World Food Program estimated that food prices would increase 107 percent in one year.
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