Economic crisis targets people s food, salaries increase must contribute in prices control – Economic expert
Damascus – North-Press Agency
Ahmad Kanaan
In a special statement to North-Press, the economic expert, Dr. Fadi Ayyash described the economic crisis which Syria is undergoing with the imposed war on the country, but in another way, "because it targets the food of the Syrian people.” Ayyash said that, the economy and the economic sanctions are the last paper pressure which is used by "the opposing forces" of the Syrian people, "for the imposed war on the country for years, began choosing another way, it is facing the Syrian State outwardly, but inwardly it is targeting the Syrian people".
He added that, the economic war is the most devastating war and the most affecting war on society, and the main reason is that, its mechanisms are vague for the society. "people's sustenance is the most affected by such policies which reflects the purchasing power. So, it reflects on the general trading process of the country, which begins from the factory, to the market, to the exports and imports, and this is one of the kinds of the direct pressure on the economic policies of the state and on the people's sustenance".
Concerning the increase of salaries issued by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Ayyash confirmed that, it must contribute to the controlling of prices and create a state of balance in the market, otherwise the citizen won't feel the value of this increase.
Ayyash explained the extent of the impact of the economic war on the citizens and their resort to other ways to obtain their living, "If a person reaches the stage of the search for a living, he may be affected by the changes and get out of the framework of the state and the law".
He assured that, the exchange rate, which is one of several factors related to the economic dimension, and the difficulty of securing alternatives due to sanctions, are factors contributed to the decline of the Syrian pound and the rise of the dollar to record levels, and the presence of a number of weak souls who exploit the conditions for profit-making have made these conditions float despite all government efforts to control the situation.
Regarding the increase of salaries announced by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday, Ayyash said that, increasing salaries and wages by SYP 20,000 for the employees and SYP 16,000 for the retirees is a great privilege, especially when we say that, increasing the fixed value directly may lead to a state of balance in the scale of salaries and wages.
"This increase should lead to a state of balance in the market, but it must be accompanied by great efforts and large measures to try to control prices, and the risk is if the government fails to do so, then the citizen won't feel the value of this increase", he added.
Ayyash added that the challenge for the Syrian government is to restore the balance in the exchange rate, which may contribute to the return of industry, the first lever of the Syrian economy, and the most important factor which will restore the Syrian pound's value.”