Chambers of Commerce, Industry of Sheikh Maqsoud demands lifting siege

In response to the ongoing siege imposed by factions affiliated with the Transitional Government on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry Union in the Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods issued a statement on Monday. The statement was read by the Union's Secretary, Mohamed Hussein, and the administrator, Restam Ali, with the participation of dozens of industrialists, merchants, and workers in front of the Lady Garden Hall in the Shaqaif area, north of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.

The statement began by emphasizing that the merchants and industrialists in these neighborhoods are the people of this homeland, and have suffered many years from the policies of the former regime, including checkpoints, intimidation, extortion, and pressure that burdened the commercial, industrial, and labor sectors alike.

The statement noted that despite these circumstances, the residents of these areas have remained steadfast in their attachment to their land and their legitimate right to work and produce, contributing as much as possible to supporting the local economy, and securing employment opportunities.

The Union explained that it had welcomed the fall of the former regime with joy, hoping that the country would witness a new era that would end the logic of siege, collective punishment, and closed enclaves, and establish a just national economy and a genuine Syrian industry; however, the current siege and restrictions imposed on the Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods are unpatriotic acts that contradict the most basic principles of statehood and public responsibility.

The statement pointed out that imposing a siege on civilian neighborhoods, preventing the entry of raw materials necessary for industry, and disrupting transportation and trade have led to the near-complete shutdown of factories and workshops, the collapse of commercial and industrial activity, and a rise in unemployment rates, in addition to directly threatening the livelihoods of thousands of families.

It also noted that the siege has inflicted damaged to trade exchange movement with other Syrian governorates, constituting a loss for the national economy as a whole, not just for those neighborhoods.

The Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry stressed that the siege is a rejected and condemned measure, and that turning neighborhoods into closed enclaves is not a solution, but rather a reproduction of failed policies that Syrians have already rejected. It stressed that building the state and the economy cannot be achieved by stifling traders and industrialists and punishing civilians.

In conclusion, the Union called on the government and relevant authorities to immediately and unconditionally lift the siege, open the roads for commercial and industrial traffic, guarantee freedom of work and movement, and secure the requirements for production, in a way that preserves the dignity of citizens and serves the supreme national interest, stressing that work is a right, dignity is indivisible, and that there is no future for a homeland in which its sons are besieged.

J.J

ANHA