Syrian government opens 4 crossings with AANES areas to collect taxes
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian government opened four crossings with areas run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to collect royalties and taxes from traders, a source said on Sunday.
A source in the administration of a government crossing told North Press that the National Security Bureau of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Syria approved on March 6, the opening of the crossings to collect taxes after increasing passage fees.
The crossings expected to be opened for trade movement are the Bouqros and Hawaj in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, and the al-Tayha in the countryside of Manbij, and Ithriyah crossing in the countryside of Hama.
The source revealed the National Security Bureau informed the administration of the crossings to receive applications from traders and industrialists from inside and outside government-held areas who want to move goods according to transit requirements and to apply requests for approval.
The requests need to include detailed information of the goods and the procedures would be conducted under the supervision of the government’s customs, security and military authorities, according to the source.
The source added that officials at inspection yards charge one million Syrian pounds for every vehicle, which is required to unload goods within 24 hours.
So far, 40 kinds of agricultural, industrial and commercial goods have been granted permission to pass, he said.
Syria is divided into different areas of influence, including government-held areas, those of the Turkish-backed armed opposition, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), and the AANES areas.
Crossings connecting government-held areas with those of the AANES are the only way for the passage of industrial and commercial goods and humanitarian aid to the region.
The only official border crossing in Northeast Syria, al-Ya’rubiyah (Tel Kocher), with Iraq has been closed since 2019, after a Russian-Chinese veto in the UNSC. The closure of the border crossing has affected access to humanitarian aid and supplies in northeastern Syria.