ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria plans to introduce several grades of diesel at different prices and restart local refineries to ease living costs and address supply shortages, the energy minister said Thursday, amid protests over recent fuel price hikes.
Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said the government recognizes the impact of higher fuel prices on the public as well as the agricultural, production and service sectors, adding that following a meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, authorities approved plans to offer cheaper diesel, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
"A proposal was approved to offer multiple types of diesel with varying specifications and prices based on the nature of use, rather than restricting the market to a single, high-spec and high-cost product," Bashir said.
The announcement comes after protests erupted across parts of the country following the government's decision on Sunday to raise fuel prices.
The price of 95-octane gasoline rose up to 28 percent, from 152 Syrian pounds ($1.25) to 195 pounds ($1.60) per liter, while 90-octane gasoline increased about 26 percent, from 147 pounds ($1.20) to 185 pounds ($1.52). Diesel jumped up to 40 percent, from 125 pounds ($1.02) to 175 pounds ($1.43) per liter, while household cooking gas rose nearly nine percent.
Bashir said authorities had decided to restart several domestic refineries with a combined capacity of up to 35,000 barrels of crude oil per day under the supervision of the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC), in a bid to boost local production and reduce costs.
Working with international partners, authorities have also secured a grade of diesel that will be sold at 150 Syrian pounds ($1.23) per liter for some productive and service sectors as well as heavy machinery and engineering equipment, Bashir said.
Standard diesel will remain available at 175 Syrian pounds ($1.43) per liter, while subsidized diesel priced at 115 pounds ($0.94) per liter will be allocated for heating, agriculture and other eligible consumers.
Bashir attributed the recent price increases in part to the temporary shutdown of the Baniyas refinery for a major overhaul, which has forced Syria to rely more heavily on costly imports.
"The refinery's temporary shutdown increased our reliance on imported refined products amid rising international prices, which raised procurement costs domestically and made the recent price adjustments an unavoidable, temporary measure to ensure supply continuity."
SPC Chief Executive Officer Yousef Qablawi said the company was accelerating field operations and preparing an implementation mechanism with the government to manage distribution and expand refining capacity.
"The goal of the new measures is to support citizens in light of rising global oil prices and increased costs of importing petroleum derivatives," Qablawi said at the same press conference.
He added that the company had drawn up plans to rehabilitate shut-in wells, drill new oil and gas wells and pursue the acquisition and construction of additional refineries to process Syrian crude domestically.
The measures come as protests against the fuel price increases continue in several parts of Syria.
Security forces in Damascus detained four demonstrators who had taken part in a protest outside the People's Assembly on Thursday against the fuel price increases and worsening living conditions, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
SOHR later reported that three of the four detainees had been released, while one activist remained in custody.
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