Soaring diesel prices exacerbate transport, service costs in Jazira

Al-Hasakah Governorate is facing a series of crises across various service sectors. Complaints abound regarding the rising costs of bread, transport, fuel, and electricity, alongside a currency crisis and delays in paying farmers for their crops. These issues coincide with the transfer of the energy and fuel sectors to the transitional government's administration.

For years, the Autonomous Administration had managed several service sector, including the distribution of subsidized diesel, bread, and transport services, as well as wheat procurement and generator operations, using its own mechanisms to administer the region and organize the distribution of resources and wealth among citizens.

However, as the management of these sectors shifted to the transitional government, part of a broader integration process crises regarding prices, distribution mechanisms, and material availability have emerged. Meanwhile, citizens point out that wages have not risen in proportion to the increased costs of services and essential goods.

New adjustment to petroleum product prices

On September 4, prices for petroleum products in Syria underwent a new adjustment, according to the daily price bulletin issued by the Petroleum Products Pricing Committee, which included price hikes for several types of fuel. According to the price list, the price of a liter of 95-octane gasoline was set at 152 Syrian pounds (15,200 old Syrian pounds), and a liter of 90-octane gasoline at 147 pounds (14,700 old pounds), while the price of a liter of diesel fuel reached 125 Syrian pounds (12,500 old pounds). Additionally, the price of a domestic gas cylinder was set at 1,470 Syrian pounds, compared to 2,350 pounds for industrial gas.

This price adjustment was not part of an official, announced decision to raise the prices of petroleum products; rather, the new rates were simply listed in the daily price bulletin without any accompanying explanation.

**Diesel Fuel drives up transport and service costs

Residents of al-Jazira region are facing increasing difficulties in securing diesel fuel due to rising prices and diminishing affordability. Obtaining the fuel has become an added burden for households, particularly given their reliance on it for transportation and the operation of various services and businesses.

Diesel fuel is used across multiple sectors, including transportation, bakeries, and generators meaning any price hike directly impacts operating costs in these areas. Furthermore, increased transport costs drive up the expense of delivering food and daily necessities to markets, ultimately leading to higher prices for these goods.

The repercussions extended to bakeries and bread prices; the cost of a bundle of bread rose to 4,500 Syrian pounds, up from 3,000 pounds. Additionally, electricity generators ceased operations after the supply of diesel fuel for services was cut off, and the price per "ampere" (unit of generator capacity) surged to $10 up from $1 amid a near-total absence of the official power grid and the government's failure to propose any plan to address the situation, limiting itself instead to unfulfilled promises.

In this context, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Shehadi, a member of the Amuda City Council, stated that living conditions in the city are heavily dependent on the availability and price of diesel fuel. He explained that lower diesel prices previously helped keep the costs of various goods and services down.

He added that the recent rise in diesel prices has led to a gradual increase in the cost of various commodities and necessities. He noted that the impact extends beyond fuel costs to include transportation fares and the costs of labor and services all of which ultimately drive up the prices paid by citizens.

Demands for affordable diesel

Similarly, Adnan Ahmed Ousman, Co-chair of the Sanjaq Sa'doun Village Council, discussed the diesel situation in the area. He highlighted that diesel has become an essential need for residents and that its rising price directly affects various aspects of daily life.

Ousman pointed out that the soar in diesel prices has increased transportation and service costs, which in turn has driven up the prices of goods and daily necessities. He noted that business owners and tradespeople are also facing higher operating and transport costs, a burden that is ultimately passed on to the citizens. He called for solutions to the problem of rising diesel prices and for ensuring the fuel is available at affordable rates, emphasizing that resolving the crisis would alleviate the living and economic burdens faced by residents.

For her part, Samahar Shirko Hassan, a member of the Social Affairs and Labor Committee in the city of Amuda, explained that the hike in diesel prices has led to increased transportation costs. This has directly affected students, who are forced to pay higher fares to reach their schools.

She noted that the rising cost of diesel also drives up the prices of essential goods due to increased transport costs to markets, pointing out that the continued price hikes exacerbate the financial strain on residents.

As the costs of transportation, services, and essential goods continue to rise, economic pressure on the region's residents is mounting. There are growing calls for solutions that ensure diesel availability at prices aligned with the population's purchasing power and that mitigate the impact of these price hikes on daily life.

ANHA