Complaints in Kobani over currency exchange losses; lack of exchange centers

The decision to stop using the old Syrian pound officially came into effect in Kobani on Sunday, July 26, in accordance with a circular issued by the Municipality Presidency and the Finance Office. The measure follows a decision by the Central Bank of Syria to withdraw the old currency from circulation and require transactions to be conducted exclusively with the new Syrian pound.

The implementation of the decision has intensified residents' hardships, as shops, bakeries, and fuel stations have begun refusing the old currency. At the same time, the city is experiencing a shortage of the new banknotes and a lack of currency exchange centers. This has disrupted commercial activity and forced some residents to borrow money to meet their basic needs.

In this context, resident Mustafa Saadou said that people are no longer able to buy bread, fuel, or food because the old currency is no longer accepted.

He explained that he had to buy bread on credit until he could obtain the new currency, while basic services such as electricity and water continue to deteriorate and transportation remains unavailable.

He added that the shortage of the new currency has further worsened living conditions and called on the Kobani city administration to urgently address the currency exchange crisis, in addition to tackling the service and livelihood challenges facing residents.

For his part, trader Sheikh Hami Nabi said that the city lacks free currency exchange centers, unlike other cities. He noted that citizens lose around 10,000 Syrian pounds when exchanging every 100,000 Syrian pounds in old banknotes due to commissions charged by money changers.

Nabi called for the establishment of an official, free currency exchange center to protect citizens from financial losses and prevent exploitation, especially as the deadline for using the old Syrian currency approaches.

He stressed that the old currency should be exchanged at full face value without any deductions, asking: "In what government is there a difference in value between the same currency? The old Syrian pound should be exchanged for the new one without citizens losing any portion of their money. This is not a foreign currency, so there should be no profit or loss in exchanging it."

He added that fuel stations and municipalities should play a role in the exchange process because of their connection to official institutions.

Nabi also urged the Kobani city administration to find a swift solution to the crisis by opening free currency exchange centers, ending the exploitation of citizens, and requiring service institutions and commercial businesses to continue accepting the old currency until the exchange process is completed.

These developments come at a time when Kobani residents are already facing deteriorating living conditions and inadequate public services, further increasing their economic burdens and making it more difficult to secure their daily necessities amid the currency exchange crisis and the shortage of the new Syrian pound.

ANHA