Syrians Protest 'Impossible' Power Bills as Tariffs Soar Amid Economic Collapse
For Hani Massalkhi, a retired agricultural engineer in Damascus, a routine trip to settle his electricity bill this week turned into a moment of shock. The amount demanded under Syria's newly implemented tariffs was higher than his entire monthly pension of $70. "My bill used to be less than $2. Now it's over $72," Massalkhi told AFP, leaving the payment center empty-handed. "People are exhausted, emerging from crisis. They can't even put food on the table."
The Syrian energy ministry's decision in October to raise electricity prices by as much as 6,000% has sent shockwaves through a nation already shattered by 13 years of conflict. With most citizens living below the poverty line and the official minimum wage stagnant at around $75, the new costs are simply unpayable for many.
Authorities defend the move as part of a necessary sector reform to "achieve sustainability and improve service." An energy ministry official did not respond to AFP's request for comment on the public outcry.
Reform Promises vs. Daily Reality
Since the political transition in 2024, the new administration has repeatedly vowed to tackle Syria's chronic power shortages, where blackouts can last up to 20 hours daily. Over the past year, it has pursued gas import deals with Turkey and Qatar and sought international investment to rehabilitate the country's decimated infrastructure—a task the World Bank estimates will cost over $216 billion.
Yet, for ordinary Syrians, tangible improvements remain elusive. While Damascus residents now receive up to six hours of state-provided power daily, areas outside the capital are often left in the dark. The tariff hike, analysts say, is a desperate measure to stave off the total financial collapse of the energy sector itself.
"The core problem is not the tariff increase in isolation, but the catastrophic erosion of wage purchasing power," explained Mohamad Ahmad, an economist with the Syria-focused Karam Shaar Advisory. "Many public employees earn less than $100 a month. The math no longer works."
'We Won't Pay': A Rare Public Protest
On Thursday, a small but significant protest unfolded outside the energy ministry in Damascus—a scene nearly unthinkable under the former government. Demonstrators held placards reading "We Won't Pay" and "Electricity is a Right," condemning the chasm between meager incomes and impossible bills.
Among them was Mohammed Daher, a retired public employee from the Tadamon suburb, who now receives only two hours of electricity per day. "I was shocked. My bill jumped from less than $2 to over $31," he said. "My income is $62 a month. Where am I supposed to get that money?"
Feminist activist Sawsan Zakzak, 65, described a life of severe rationing: no air conditioning, no boiler use this winter, and limited television time—all for fear of the meter. "We live on low pensions," she said, holding her sign aloft. "Electricity service is a right, not a luxury we must fear."
Voices from the Community
Layla Al-Masri, Teacher in Damascus: "This isn't reform; it's collective punishment. How can a government that claims to rebuild first make basic survival impossible? We are being priced out of light and warmth."
Omar Farouk, Small Business Owner (Aleppo): "My generator fuel costs were already crippling. Now this? There's no planning, no gradual phase-in. It's an economic death blow to families and businesses already on the edge."
Dr. Rana Haddad, Urban Policy Analyst: "The tariff adjustment, however severe, highlights the unsustainable subsidy model of the past. The tragic dilemma is that the state's financial crisis is now being downloaded directly onto households with zero capacity to absorb it."
Karim Jabbour, Engineer (Expatriate): "It's infuriating. My family in Homs sends me their bill screenshot like a horror story. They sign MOUs with gas suppliers but treat citizens like ATMs. This isn't governance; it's extraction from a starving population."