Syrian traders fear data collection by Interim government

The pace of traders’ objections to the interim government’s decisions in Syria has intensified, especially regarding the recent step by the Ministry of Economy and Trade to distribute barcodes to commercial shops and collect detailed information about them, including the number of employees, ownership type, nature of business, capital, and other data, which has raised concerns among traders.

Voices of concern grew during a meeting of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce with the Director of Internal Trade in Damascus, who is from Idlib.

The chamber is one of the oldest in the region, with a history of more than two centuries. Traders expressed fears that the collected information could be used in ways that harm Damascus traders, who are known for their longstanding commercial reputation.

One trader objected, saying: “I see several reasons to oppose this.” He explained that there is a problem related to tax assignments, as he does not always have a correct tax assignment due to the complexity of income laws. He also mentioned facing occasional difficulties with the Ministry of Internal Trade based on past experiences, raising concerns about the new measures.

He added: “We, as economic actors, strive to address issues in an integrated way, but I am concerned that these measures could create new problems, especially collecting information and using it elsewhere or leaking it to foreign entities. We need a system that guarantees everyone’s rights and clarifies each person’s obligations.”

Another trader called for coordination between the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Internal Trade, and the Ministry of Economy, stating that this integration would ensure their comfort and strengthen market stability.

Traders did not hide their concerns about the step and its motivations. Another trader said: “We must realize that traders face many pressures, often unjustified. The law we rely on does not adequately protect consumers or traders. We need better management of these issues.”

In his intervention, a trader emphasized that they work in a challenging environment and must approach these issues objectively.

According to sources, the main concern for traders is collecting data on Damascus traders and their business activities for the benefit of other countries using Syrian markets to sell their goods, such as Turkey, whose sales increased by 69.6% compared to the previous year.

 Last year, Turkish sales in Syrian markets amounted to $2.568 billion, which could also be used to harm the reputation of Syrian traders.

ANHA