The Assad government and its institutions, namely the Central Bank, should not be held responsible for the poverty of Syria’s citizens, adviser to the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Ghassan al-Eid, said.
In an interview with the pro-regime al-Watan newspaper on Wednesday, October 11, Eid attributed the high prices to what he called the "aggression against Syria". The remarks stand in direct contrast to other government officials, who have widely credited the inflation to higher dollar exchange rates and the actions of "terrorist groups".
Eid added that current government policies are aimed at meeting the direct effects of inflation on the citizens and the economy, explaining that "no government entity is responsible for the inflation, as it is a result of rising import prices and the actions taken by some international companies, which refuse to sell food and pharmaceutical products to Syria, in addition to the living supplies that the citizen cannot obtain due to the sanctions."
Syria is experiencing phenomenally high prices for food supplies, real estate, clothing, medicines, building materials, education and medical care.
Citizens are now categorized into three socio-economic segments, while the state refuses to take any action to reduce the gap between them. The first segment includes traders and brokers who have contributed to the inflation, the second includes employees and low-income earning citizens, who often must work day and night to secure food for a day, while the last group is the poor and destitute. This last segment includes citizens in cities and rural areas of Syria, whose sufferings have increased because of the ongoing war and the greed of traders.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
