Syria raises electricity prices by up to 500%

Children, displaced due to the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, try to get warm with a campfire under the harsh winter conditions in makeshift tent camp in Idlib, Syria on December 23, 2023 [İzettin Kasım – Anadolu Agency]

The Syrian Ministry of Electricity has increased electricity prices for domestic and industrial use with some segments anticipating a hike of more than 500 per cent, the semi-official Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.

The paper said the decision will go into effect in March.

According to the paper, the ministry has increased some costs from two liras to ten and others from six liras to 25. The most costly tariff is being raised from 350 to 450 liras.

The decision includes electricity prices for domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural uses as well as touristic facilities, which are exempt from rationing.

Assistant Minister of Electricity, Adham Ballan, justified the decision by saying it falls within a review of the tariff structure and directing support to those who actually need it.

He explained that the ministry’s ability to provide electricity services is linked to liquidity which must be secured in light of the current inflation.

For years, areas under the Syrian regime control have been suffering from an electricity crisis and long outages, reaching more than 20 hours in some governorates.

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