Government announces new diesel prices while keeping petrol and gas prices unchanged

Syria’s Permanent Committee for Determining the Prices of Petroleum Products and Mineral Resources has announced, in its latest price bulletin, that the price of first-grade diesel has been set at 150 new Syrian pounds per litre, while the price of 95-octane petrol has been set at 195 new pounds per litre and 90-octane petrol at 185 new pounds. A cylinder of domestic gas has been priced at 1,600 new pounds, while an industrial gas cylinder costs 2,560 new pounds.

The announcement comes at a time when Syrian households’ need for fuel is increasing, particularly heating fuel, as winter approaches. This follows the wave of protests and daily demonstrations that swept through most Syrian regions in September after fuel prices were raised, with demonstrators rejecting the additional cost-of-living burdens and rising expenses for heating, transport and production.

Despite setting the price of diesel at 150 new pounds without addressing heating fuel, which remains a central demand of protesters, fuel prices are still high for most Syrians amid low incomes and declining purchasing power. The 25-new-pound price difference does not represent a sufficient improvement in households’ ability to meet their fuel needs, particularly given that diesel is essential for heating during the winter, as well as being used in the transport, agriculture, and production sectors.

On 13 September, the committee had set the price of a litre of diesel at 175 new pounds. Days later, the Ministry of Energy announced the sale of diesel in three price categories: subsidised diesel at 115 new pounds per litre, diesel designated for production and service activities at 150 new pounds, and standard-specification diesel at 175 new pounds per litre.

Sh-S

ANHA