The major lack of raw materials in textile manufacturing has led to the halting of more than 500 establishments operating in the textile sector in Aleppo over the last four months, which has created a situation of dysfunction and disorder on various levels and resulted in the dismissal of hundreds of workers.
Reports from the owners of some of the establishments and workshops, which are spread throughout multiple industrial zones, indicate that in the Aleppo markets there has been a major lack of fabric for a long period, which has pushed them with time to close workshops and dismiss hundreds of workers and stop production.
Fares al-Shihabi, head of the Federation of Chambers of Industry and of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce, told Tishreen that Aleppo factories and markets suffer from a serious lack of a number of productive, commercial and industrial materials, especially textiles, fabrics, dying and yarn, and so on.”
The Industrial City northeast of the city of Aleppo saw in the second half of 2018 the departure and closure of a several heavy and medium-sized workshops, in contrast to what Shihabi has previously stated about industry returning and recovering in the city.
Taxes and fees imposed by security directorates and militias at military checkpoints have caused an increase in prices and an increase in produced goods which are in competition with imported and smuggled products which are up to 25 percent less expensive.
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.
