(Reporting by Ma'moon Abu Mohamed; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)
Syrian regime’s customs have seized huge amounts of products from traders in many shops after resuming their activities in famous Dablan market in Homs, Activists confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl.
Activists mentioned that regime relied on the absence of official receipts to seize materials, even it is well known that many official papers were lost in latest development in the city. Moreover, customs turned the blind eye for the smuggled materials and products in shops in pro-regime areas.
Many traders considered those actions as attempts from the regime to prevent Homs’s traders from coming back to the city and reopening their shops.
In a relevant content, activists mentioned that regime has started escaping from promises of rebuilding the commercial city center in Homs after the rebels left it.
Having lost hope of help from the Syrian regime, the trade chamber in the city of Homs appealed to the United Nations to restore the city’s old walls and rebuild the city via the its Developing Programme which opened an office in Homs in 2013. “We are waiting the final agreement by the United Nations Developing Programme” Abdul Naser al-Shaikh Fattoh, the manager of Trade Chamber in Homs told Zaman al-Wasl.
Fattoh mentioned on his facebook page that committees of traders including all vocations are formed to follow up and implement the restoration projects with coordination the municipality and the Province.
Activists claim that pro-regime militia and forces have stolen products and materials from shops and warehouses worth more than 2 Billion Syrian pound, and burned stores, claiming that traders formed a supportive community for terrorists.
It is estimated that about two thousand shops were robbed in Old City of Homs, and thousands shops in other 38 neighborhoods.
Abu Azmi, an owner of an Auto-parts store told Zaman al-Wasl: “my shop had had goods for more than 200 Million Syrian pounds when the US dollar exchange rate was 45 Syrian pounds only, Shabiha had stolen all goods, even the doors and windows of the shop.”
Abu Mustafa painfully regrets his fate as he had become bankrupted because his textile warehouse was robbed by “Shabiha” which was worth at the time more than $2 million.
Abu Mustafa mentioned that dozens of traders visited Homs Governor to discuss the possibility of lending them some money to start their trade again, but their request was rejected. “Lending you money, it is impossible, the country at the brink of falling down, it hardly can pay employees’ salaries, wait till the crisis ends, an employee told us" Abu Mustafa said.
Zaman Al Wasl
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