A government decision intended to address supply pressures has instead pushed frustrated Syrians onto the streets and disrupted key transport routes.
A sharp rise in fuel prices over the weekend sparked large-scale protests in various regions of Syria. The demonstrations were the largest in the country since former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown nearly two years ago.
According to a report by Reuters.
The discontent was triggered by the government’s decision to raise the price of diesel fuel by 40% to 175 Syrian pounds per liter. Protesters burned tires and blocked key roads, including the highway connecting Damascus and Aleppo.
In some areas, protesters stopped convoys of oil tankers heading to refineries in the central part of the country. Some demonstrators called for the dismissal of the ministers of energy and economy, as well as the head of the Syrian Oil Company.
The fuel price increase has placed an additional burden on a population that has been living through a deep economic crisis for years. According to UN estimates, around 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. Before the civil war began in 2011, the figure stood at approximately one-third of the population.
How fuel prices have changed in Syria
Along with diesel fuel, the government revised the prices of other energy sources:
gas for household and industrial use rose by approximately 9%;
the price of 95-octane gasoline increased by 28% to 195 Syrian pounds;
the price of 90-octane gasoline rose by 26% to 185 Syrian pounds.
The price increase is a temporary measure caused by rising global purchasing costs and Syria’s heavy dependence on imports. Prices may be revised later, either upward or downward, depending on circumstances.
– Abdulhamid Salat, spokesperson for Syria’s Ministry of Energy
Dependence on imports and shortages of petroleum products
Syria relies heavily on supplies of Russian oil. Since the beginning of the year, the country has been importing around 60,000 barrels per day. The situation was worsened by production cuts at Russian refineries following Ukrainian strikes. As a result, Moscow restricted exports of gasoline and diesel fuel.
An additional factor contributing to the shortage was the three-month shutdown of Syria’s largest refinery in Baniyas. The facility is undergoing its first comprehensive maintenance program.
Syrian authorities said that the new tariffs were based not only on the price of crude oil, but also on shortages of refined petroleum products and rising processing, transportation, and supply costs. According to the government, these factors prompted the price revisions, but the decision triggered a new wave of social tensions.