Syria Hikes Industrial Diesel Oil Prices By 400 Percent

DAMASCUS, Sept 13 (AFP) - The Syrian government has increased industrial diesel oil prices by 400 percent to cut the volume of state subsidies on fuels in the budget, the weekly al-Iqtissadiya said on Monday.
One litre of industrial diesel oil will cost six Syrian pounds, up from 1.35 pounds (one dollar equals 50 pounds), it said.
Industrialists had called for the increase to be delayed until early next year, but Minister of Industry Mohammed Safi Abu Dan said it would come into force "immediately," the weekly said, adding that about 440 industrialists would be affected.
Diesel oil in Syria still remains much cheaper than average world prices.