Market activity in Deir Ezzor city has declined over the past two weeks, despite a drop in the prices of most food items by more than 20%. This is attributed to the deteriorating living and economic conditions that most residents of the city are experiencing.

The drop in prices is due to the improvement in the value of the Syrian pound against the US dollar, with 11,500 Syrian pounds now equivalent to one dollar.

The delay in salary payments to employees after the fall of the Assad regime has negatively impacted the lives of the residents, especially since most of the city’s population are employees who rely on monthly salaries. This has also caused a stagnation in local market activity, according to sellers interviewed by Enab Baladi.

“Weak commercial activity”

Haitham al-Rak’aa, a grocery store owner, stated that the delay in salary payments has adversely affected demand, leading many in the community to purchase smaller quantities than before.

He added to Enab Baladi that market activity remains weak despite the drop in prices of basic materials compared to December 2024, with the price of a kilogram of sugar reaching 8,000 Syrian pounds, down from 13,500 pounds.

The price of one kilogram of rice has decreased from 16,000 to 11,000 pounds, a half-kilo bag of coffee from 125,000 to 92,000 pounds, and the price of one kilogram of medium-quality tea from 145,000 to 110,000 pounds.

Bassem al-Mush’aan, the owner of one of the city’s stores, remarked that the decline in purchasing power is due to delayed salaries, as the city generally depends on jobs in state institutions and trade, alongside operating river crossings across the Euphrates River as a source of income for its residents.

Meanwhile, Raed Atallah, a vegetable dealer, mentioned that residents have started buying certain items individually and are being more economical with purchase quantities.

The delay in the payment of employees’ salaries weakens purchasing power in Deir Ezzor – January 12, 2025 (Enab Baladi/Obadah al-Sheikh)

Delayed salaries and increases awaited

Most residents of Deir Ezzor city are awaiting the payment of salaries and the promised increase of 400% by the interim Damascus government, expected in early February.

Mohammad Kadrou, an employee at the Mills Directorate, noted that the delay in salary payments has put employees in a precarious situation, especially with existing obligations.

He told Enab Baladi that over a month after the fall of the Assad regime, salaries have yet to be paid, highlighting additional obligations such as bills, internet, and rent.

On January 5, the interim Damascus government announced that it would raise the salaries of many public sector employees by 400%.

The estimated cost of this increase is about 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds (approximately 127 million US dollars), which will be funded from current state resources, alongside a mix of regional aid and new investments, as well as efforts to release frozen Syrian assets abroad.

On January 14, the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) announced that it has sufficient funds in its reserves to pay employee salaries even after the 400% increase.