Syrian govt decides measures to overcome possible impact of Ukraine crisis

Damascus, Feb 25: The Syrian cabinet has decided several measures to deal with the possible impact of the Ukraine crisis on the economic situation in Syria, according to state news agency SANA. The measures were decided on Thursday during a government special mini-session, it said.

According to the report, the measures include implementing necessary steps to manage and boost the stocks of basic materials such as wheat, sugar, oil, rice and potato during the next two months, and to ensure the sustainability of their availability, Xinhua news agency reported.

The decision also includes restricting exports during the next two months for materials that can contribute to market stability such as olive oil, preserved foodstuff, and other materials, as well as managing the market's needs for medicines. On the financial and banking level, the government decided to tighten control over the exchange market to ensure its stability during the next two months.

The measures aim to deal with any economic fluctuations that could affect the Syrian local market directly or indirectly, according to changes that may affect the global market, especially in the fields of energy, food and global transport.