Idlib weighs cashless economy to address hardship
A research and studies department in a local investment company affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib suggested turning Idlib into a cashless society, as a solution to price increases and inflation.
ALEPPO, Syria — Anger is prevailing among Syrians in the northwest province of Idlib due to the current inflation as the prices of goods depend on the Turkish lira’s exchange rate against the US dollar, which has now depreciated to approximately 14 liras to the greenback, as of the time of this writing.
The so-called Syrian Salvation Government affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Idlib had adopted the Turkish lira as an official currency in its areas of control in June 2020, instead of the Syrian pound.
Idlib is currently suffering under inflation due to several factors, the most important of which is the purchase of food commodities and goods by sellers in US dollars and selling them in Turkish liras, in addition to the absence of small denominations of both currencies.
Among the suggested solutions is a proposal put forward by the research and studies department of Namaa Investments, a local HTS-affiliated company in the city of Sarmada in the northern countryside of Idlib. The department conducted an opinion poll on transforming Idlib into a cashless society, as one of the solutions to the uncontrollable inflation and high prices of goods.
