Al-Hasakah – Details Press
The Kurdish National Council criticized the Autonomous Administration in a statement on Monday for raising fuel prices (diesel and gasoline) by 50 percent without an official announcement of the decision.
The council stated in the statement that raising the prices of “free” (unsubsidized) diesel and gasoline demonstrates “clear disregard for the suffering of citizens.”
In its statement, the council called on the Democratic Union Party (PYD) to immediately reverse the price increase, holding it responsible for the social and economic repercussions of the decision.
It noted that prices had risen to 6,200 Syrian pounds per liter (about 55 US cents), after previously selling for about 3,800 pounds (about 30 US cents), without any prior official announcement or decision, which it considered “an attempt to evade responsibility.”
He added, “We assure our people that we are committed to ensuring the success of any understandings that serve the Kurdish cause and our shared political vision. However, at the same time, we strongly condemn any decisions that harm our people or exacerbate their suffering.”
The Council stated, “The policy of monopolizing power, the lack of transparency, and the adoption of improvised and self-serving decisions have proven their failure to achieve stability and have contributed to deepening crises, increasing poverty rates, and expanding migration and displacement.”
The Council’s criticism coincided with months-long talks between the two sides to reach a common vision for the region and their position on the Syrian government.
This move sparked a wave of discontent among residents, who viewed it as an additional injustice to their deteriorating living conditions, amid warnings of its direct impact on the prices of basic goods and services linked to diesel.
Raising the prices of fuel and basic commodities in northeastern Syria is a recurring issue, one that authorities avoid announcing, given that it has caused waves of protests, the most recent of which was in 2023.
The Autonomous Administration justified the fuel price increase in the areas under its control in northeastern Syria by citing a stifling financial crisis in its public treasury.
An official source in the Autonomous Administration stated that the decision was the result of a “deficit in the public treasury” that prompted this step, in addition to other reasons, most notably the rising cost of extracting and transporting fuel.
He explained that the increase only included free diesel and gasoline, while fuel prices allocated to service sectors remained unchanged, including public taxi gasoline, according to the local North Press website.
On the other hand, Syrian governorates have witnessed a supply of fuel since the fall of the former regime. The price of a liter of gasoline across Syria ranges around $1.1, while the price of a liter of diesel is $0.95.
