Syrian Fuel Company: Lack of Vision and Escalating Violations

In the absence of vision and a decline in priorities by the CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, Engineer Youssef Balawi, at a time when the energy sector faces increasing challenges, the Mahrukat Company is experiencing a worrying state of decline and administrative inefficiency. This is compounded by the lack of a clear vision and the failure of the company's executive management to give it the necessary attention.

After Zaman al-Wasl and the "Syrian Shadow Government" initiative highlighted the widespread corruption in Mahrukat's gas bottling plants, particularly the Adra gas plant, no concrete action was taken by the Mahrukat Company's management, represented by its Director General, Agricultural Engineer Akram Hammouda. Furthermore, the Syrian Petroleum Company's executive management showed no serious interest in these alarming findings.

Approximately two weeks after the publication of this information, the Central Agency for Control and Inspection commendably took action, uncovering serious irregularities, organized corruption, and widespread manipulation of gas cylinders within the Adra gas plant. This raises a fundamental question: Was this time insufficient for Mahrukat's management to demonstrate its commitment to combating corruption? The painful truth: Yes, it was sufficient… but the administration failed and turned its back on the matter.

This neglect reflects one of the most prominent reasons for the profound decline plaguing this giant company, which is the Syrian Petroleum Company's direct representative to the public. The sharp decline in its performance has become evident, amidst rampant corruption within its ranks and the blatant squandering of public funds, coupled with the near-total absence of an effective management role, detached from a reality it is well aware of. Examples of some of these violations include:

In the Damascus and Rural Damascus fuel distribution branches, violations are entrenched daily:

- Tampering with gasoline and diesel meters at major government-run stations in the capital, such as Azbakiyah, Kafr Souseh, and Al-Siyasiyah, and mixing kerosene and water with gasoline in collusion with the tanker truck delivering the fuel.

- The transformation of distribution vehicles in Rural Damascus into private mobile fuel stations, operating under the supervision and undeclared partnership of the branch management.

- Theft of fuel allocations intended for bakeries and the public sector, specifically gasoline and diesel, at critical facilities, most notably the Damar and Sahnaya centers.

Despite the seriousness and multiplicity of these cases, the management of the Mahrukat Company remains incapable of addressing them, while the Syrian Petroleum Company maintains an unjustified silence—a silence that borders on complicity or at least acceptance of the status quo.

So, where is Mahrukat headed? Is it conceivable that the most important face of the energy sector can remain mired in this level of corruption without accountability or decisive intervention?