Gasoline crisis linked to delayed oil shipments: Oil Minister

The Syrian Oil Minister announced a partial breakthrough in the gasoline crisis that the country has suffered in recent days, confirming the arrival of new supplies of crude oil.

Bassam Tohma told pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper that the crisis has not completely ended because it is linked to the arrival of oil shipments to Syria, adding that "this is what the Syrian government is working on in cooperation with friendly countries."

Tohma confirmed that since Saturday, the distribution of octane 95 gasoline has been resumed, and regular 90 octane gasoline will be boosted from Sunday to all provinces, with an increase of 620 thousand liters over what is currently distributed.

The Oil Minister noted that these additional quantities would gradually ease the crisis at gas stations, hoping that the crisis would end completely within a few weeks with the arrival of new supplies of crude oil to the Baniyas and Homs refineries, and the return of things to what they were in the past, especially towards The duration of the arrival of messages for private and public cars.

Last week, the reduction in fuel allocations to gas stations caused a stifling transportation crisis in the city of Damascus, the effects of which became clear after photos of hundreds of citizens piling at the main bus station of the capital.

"Al-Watan" quoted an official source in the Damascus governorate as saying that the number of daily requests in the capital is estimated at 24 requests for diesel and gasoline, while it has been reduced to less than 20 requests, which caused a major congestion on transportation.

The Syrian economy has been devastated by war and witnessed massive destruction of infrastructure worth USD 120 billion as the UN estimates, the rebuilding of war-torn Syria would need around USD 250-400 billion.

The regime-controlled areas suffer from a stark rise in the prices of basic materials and food commodities, amid government promises to fight monopoly.

The Syrian revolution that turned into a bloody conflict has claimed 500,000 lives and has displaced 13,2 million people since it erupted in March 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests.