Communications prices increase by 1100% in Transitional Govt.'s areas

After significant and unclear changes to mobile-cellular companies' operators in Syria, these companies raised their service prices by 1100% on Friday morning under the guise of "unifying packages" into just 15 packages.

Widespread anger swept through areas controlled by the Syrian Transitional Government on Friday morning, igniting protests on virtual media against the price hikes, despite poor coverage, lack of internet access, and poor service.

The companies canceled the daily packages that students, workers, and ordinary citizens relied on, which cost 500 Syrian pounds, and replaced them with a weekly package with fewer services for 12,000 pounds, or a daily package for 6,000 pounds with a slight adjustment to the data allowance. This means the price of a package has jumped from 500 to 6,000 pounds for the average consumer, and students or users now need 180,000 pounds per month to purchase an internet package, equivalent to about 20% of the salary of a permanent employee in Syria with more than ten years of service.

As for the other packages that the company claimed were designed to suit all segments of society, it offered a 1.5 GB package for a month at a price of 24,000 Syrian pounds, a consumption that, according to students, is insufficient for even two days. The company says it studied the needs, while the Syrian public is expressing its discontent on virtual media.

In Syria, specifically in areas under the control of the Transitional Government, there are two telecommunications operators; Syriatel and MTN. In addition, a third operator, Wafa Tel, was licensed before the fall of the previous Syrian regime, but its license was revoked with the establishment of the Transitional Government. Then, the current government took control of the existing operators without providing any disclosures, despite both companies being listed on the Damascus Securities Exchange. Syrian law requires companies to disclose information whenever their boards of directors change.

According to ANHA agency's sources, a judicial custodian was appointed to MTN and then removed without any explanation. The board of directors was also changed without any official announcement, in clear violation of Syrian law.

Furthermore, the Transitional Government transferred some of Syriatel's assets and changed its board of directors without disclosing information to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Now, the company has significantly increased its prices without any improvement in service quality.

Syrians are asking: how long will Syriatel and MTN continue their monopoly with their substandard services and unreasonable packages? Syriatel is promoting packages tailored to high-income earners, claiming, "We're not the best, but we're the only ones," as if companies believe Syrians live in America and have an average income of $2,000! Unfortunately, we can no longer even afford to sell land to implement Syriatel's offer.

The Syrian public has expressed its anger and resentment at this move, which comes after the electricity price hike, further burdening citizens amid fears of additional increases in essential services, particularly for the unemployed.

J.J

ANHA