IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) imposed significant restrictions on money market in Idlib pushing money transfer offices to stop working.
The 37-year-old, Abu al-Zein al-Halabi, owner of money transfer office in the city of Sarmada, south of Idlib, closed his office and stopped working.
The restrictions imposed by the HTS which constitute strong source of funding through taxes, fees and fines, caused many problems, pressures and loss of customers, al-Halabi told North Press.
Early in October, Monetary Office of the Syrian Salvation Government of the HTS imposed security restrictions in coordination with General Security Apparatuses which restricted funds movement entering Idlib.
This came under the pretext of “combating terrorist financing” which some offices prompted to closing.
An administrative source at the Monetary Office explained that according to guidance by the HTS Security Apparatus and for security imperatives required by the public interest, a set of financial controls and restrictions were imposed in the first midweek of October.
On October 8, the restrictions were applied on money transfer offices in all of Idlib.
The restrictions included preventing the delivery of any remittances coming from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. However, humanitarian organizations and associations must depend on Turkish banks to collect financial support coming to them from these countries through official bank accounts, the source added.
All these are to prevent the exploitation of the organizations in funding suspicious entities in the region, according to the source.
A new instruction includes prohibiting delivery remittances to foreign members (not holding Syrian nationality) except after notifying the security services about the details under security imperatives with adherence to all conditions and controls, the source noted.
The 40-year-old, Abu Asa’d Hereitan, owner of money transfer office complained of HTS domination of the financial market in Idlib.
He told North Press that this dominance is represented by decisions that carry only more restrictions on the financial situation.
The decisions may reduce the financial flow coming from abroad thus cause a greater decrease in finance in Idlib, which negatively affect the movement funds in the markets, Hereitan said.
“These rules affect the work and livelihoods negatively, especially the remittance coming from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, and become under HTS control,” he added.