Aleppo – North-Press Agency
Residents of the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra'a, 20 km north of Aleppo, suffer from the high amounts that are still imposed on them under the name of "Tarsim", or a tax on goods exported and imported to the two towns by al-Tarsim checkpoint of the Syrian government forces, despite a protest by the towns' residents two days ago.
Talal Muhammad Hammoud, a sheep trader from the town of Nubl, told North-Press that he is now facing difficulties in securing his family's livelihood "because of this checkpoint that treats us as if we are from outside Syria, where passing through the checkpoint is like entering a free zone which is subject to the laws of export and import."
"I took 20 sheep to sell in Jibreen bazar south of Aleppo. The checkpoint imposed SYP 8,000 for each sheep, and this sum exceeded my profits and caused me an unbearable loss." He added.
The fees imposed by the checkpoint on the goods entering and leaving the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra'a prompted some residents of the two towns to gather and begin a sit-in close to the checkpoint two days ago to demand the reduction of the fees imposed on basic commodities.
However, the protest of the residents was carried out and finished in a hurry, and it was not allowed to be photographed for security reasons. Protestors who participated demanded the reduction of the fees and the forbidding of companies working with Syrian government forces to impose fees on the goods whenever they wanted.
"Our children's milk, our food, and our medicine are subject to fees, as if we are located outside the Syrian geography," Abu Ali (a pseudonym) said, who is from the town of Nubl and took part in the recent protest against the fees imposed by the checkpoint.
Al-Tarsim checkpoint is located near the town of Andan on the highway leading from Aleppo to Azaz, and it was set up with the beginning of the opening of the international road and the leaving of the armed opposition groups from areas on both sides of this road, especially the towns of Andan, Hayan, and Hureitan.
Muhammad Said al-Taqi, a vegetable trader from the town of al-Zahra'a, said that those working the checkpoints continue imposing fees despite "promises made by military authorities not to impose fees on vegetables and foodstuffs entering Nubl and al-Zahra'a, but the refusal to pay the fees means that the goods will not pass from the checkpoint and they will be confiscated."
Government forces’ checkpoints impose fees on goods entering the areas controlled by the armed opposition groups and on the roads and crossings that link government-controlled areas, but the same situation is seen in the towns of Nubl and al-Zahra'a, where the prices of food entering and leaving have been increased, which places further burden on the population.