PYD : SELF MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER PRICES ? – Amid crisis, residents of Syria’s Efrin complain about high prices

EFRIN CITIZENS VOICE

“Everybody has a hand in this robbery, merchants and inspectors of the Supply Corporation, including the PYD-led Assayish security forces.”

12-04-2014 –  ARA News – Efrin, Syria− Since the start of the three-year-old crisis in Syria, Efrin city in Aleppo province has suffered hard living conditions.  High prices of food items are deemed the most notable problem. “This is due to monopolizing and controlling the prices of essential materials,” residents of the Kurdish-populated city of Efrin say.

Shervan Bekir, head of a household in Efrin, told ARA News that the prices are “unbearable”.

“Bread price rose from 15 to 75 SYP, if available. Also tomatoes saw an increase in price from 20 to 120 SYP/Kilo,” Bekir said, adding: “This is because of merchants’ greed and monopoly.” “Lack of inspection encourages merchants to hide food items until they become rare, then gradually discharge them in the market in high prices,” Bekir argued. “Everybody has a hand in this robbery, merchants and inspectors of the Supply Corporation, including the PYD-led Assayish security forces.” However, Abu Jan, one of Efrin’s merchants, emphasized in an interview with ARA News:”We agree that prices are high, but we are not greedy. We pay taxes to the Supply Corporation run by “the Democratic Self-administration (led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and other allied parties). Also, bringing smuggled goods costs a lot.” Reporting by: Jiwan Efrini http://aranews.org/en/home/kurdish-region/1244-amid-crisis,-residents-of-syria-s-efrin-complain-high-prices-of-food-products.html