Syria Lifts Fuel Prices Temporarily as Costs and Refinery Repairs Hit

Syria raised 95-octane gasoline to 195 Syrian pounds per liter, about $1.60, starting midnight Sunday. Officials called the increase temporary. SANA

The Energy Ministry said the change was driven by exceptional increases. SANA Prices it monitors reached almost $1,400 per ton for diesel and $1,350 per ton for gasoline. SANA It cited high global fuel costs and an overhaul, a planned shutdown for repairs, at the Baniyas Refinery. SANA

The People's Assembly, Syria's parliament, was set to hear from the energy minister about the prices. SANA That hearing places the decision under formal review by lawmakers within days.

The rise follows a cut approved in June of up to 20%. SANA That decision lowered 95-octane gasoline by 20.39% to 130 new Syrian pounds per liter. SANA In the first half of 2026, Syria produced 14.8 million barrels of crude oil. SANA

The broader context here is a government-set price system that has moved down and then up in less than three months. Think of it like resetting a thermostat twice in one season. The June cut created a lower starting point. The September increase lifts 95-octane well above that level, while officials stress it is provisional. For those buying fuel, running the refinery, and selling at stations, that quick back-and-forth makes planning harder, even if each decision stands alone.

Looking at what this means for policy credibility, Damascus now points to public numbers. Diesel near $1,400 per ton and gasoline at $1,350 per ton explain the budget pressure without setting a permanent price. Linking the move to the Baniyas overhaul adds a second reason with a built-in end date. Once repairs finish and domestic refining returns to normal, the ministry can argue that part of the pressure should fade. That separates short-term repair costs from longer-term import costs.

In my view, the test is whether temporary stays temporary. If world prices ease and the refinery work ends on schedule, the ministry can lower prices again using the same method, announce the price, link it to tracked costs, then undo it, without admitting a mistake. If prices stay high or repairs run long, the choice gets tougher. Extending the rise would need a fresh reason for what was described as exceptional. Covering the cost would push the burden onto the state budget. The Assembly hearing will show how lawmakers weigh that balance and how much leeway they leave with the Energy Ministry while the increase lasts.