Prices of basic foodstuffs have witnessed a significant decline in the Syrian capital, Damascus, after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8.
The Assad regime used to punish anyone who traded in foreign currencies with up to seven years in prison, in addition to imposing fines.
During the period of the ousted Assad regime, the regime’s soldiers acted like gangs to collect bribes from merchants and citizens, because they were unable to cover their expenses with their salaries of about $35 per month.
Hassan Assi, a supermarket owner in the al-Midan area of Damascus, told the Turkish Anadolu Agency that prices fell and sales increased after the fall of the regime.
He added: “During the regime’s rule, everything was forbidden to us, and selling dollars and foreign goods was also forbidden.”
He added that “there was repression and theft in the supply and customs, and there was great chaos.”
He pointed out that the regime’s henchmen used to take bribes for everything, even if the merchant met all the legal requirements.
He said that the inspectors of the deposed regime used to come to inspect "for theft and bribery".
Assi said that the regime used to punish with "imprisonment and heavy fines" any merchant who brought in foreign products.
Assi said: "People are very optimistic about the decline in prices and have more positive expectations in the coming days, the situation is improving day by day".
According to the figures announced by the Central Bank of Syria, one dollar is traded at about 13,000 Syrian pounds.
In Damascus, the prices of vegetables, fruits, flour, sugar, vegetable oil, meat, eggs, and legumes have decreased by large percentages, reaching 50-60 percent for some products, compared to what they were before the fall of the defunct regime.
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