After sudden rise, Autonomous Administration sets food prices in northeastern Syria

Qamishli – North-Press Agency

The General Administration of Supply and Consumer Protection of the Economic Commission for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, issued a leaflet on prices of vegetables and fruits binding all foodstuff stores in the region on Wednesday.

The markets in cities and towns in northeastern Syria have witnessed a significant rise in the prices of the main food items in conjunction with the start of the lockdown in the administration areas two days ago, which led to severe dissatisfaction from the people in light of difficulties of living for low-income people with the cessation of their work and the sudden drop in the exchange rate of the Syrian pound (lira) against the U.S.dollar.

In reports published by North-Press on Tuesday, citizens and shop owners accused what they called "traders in the market" of exploiting the lockdown circumstances of monopoly and raising the prices of basic materials.

The items whose prices were fixed included many detergents and sterilizers that have been used since the emergence of the coronavirus epidemic, in addition to foodstuffs such as sugar, tea, oils, baby formula, and other basic foodstuffs.

The beginning of the current week witnessed large crowds of people in cities and towns in northeastern Syria, who visited the markets to buy their necessary food and goods before the imposition the lockdown by the Autonomous Administration due to coronavirus epidemic.

The markets witnessed a shortage of some items and the rise in some prices during the first and second days of the lockdown, while the exchange markets witnessed an increase in the foreign exchange rate, which amounted to more than two hundred Syrian pounds per U.S. dollar.