Food Prices Rise During Ramadan

Food prices are continuing to go up in Syria despite a government plan to monitor shops and prevent them from hiking prices, the state-run newspaper Tishreen reported on September 8.



The newspaper reported that food prices leapt by 40 per cent in the first week of Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims.



Tishreen claimed that the consumer protection law, which includes ban on unjustified price hikes, is not being enforced, and called on Economy Minister Amer Lutfi to visit the markets to see for himself what was happening.



The official in charge of trade in Damascus, Mahmoud al-Mubayed, told the pro-government website Syria News that price regulations were in place and his office was monitoring prices regularly.