Darayya marks Ramadan as displaced residents return (Photos)
Ramadan feels different this year in Darayya, with the return of thousands of displaced people and a fall in some food prices.
Ramadan feels different this year in Darayya, with the return of thousands of displaced people and a fall in some food prices.
Syrian markets are experiencing instability in the prices of basic goods as the black market exchange rate of the pound fluctuates sharply, while the Central Bank of Syria takes a hands-off approach.
The Central Bank of Syria aims to close the gap between the Syrian pound’s official exchange rate and its black market price, following a “momentary improvement” in its value when the regime fell.
Damascus is reducing the gap between the official dollar exchange rate, which lags behind the widely used black market rate. The latter is the lodestar for Syrian traders, as it reflects the real value of the Syrian pound.
The economic tools used by the regime are unlikely to bring about positive results for the official Syrian economy, but they will deepen the suffering of civilians who have lost access to subsidized goods and services.