- Editorials
- Posted
Kassioun Editorial 1250: Admitting a Mistake is a Virtue... Reversing It is an Even Greater Virtue!
The recently announced decision to raise electricity prices by the Ministry of Energy was nothing less than an explicit declaration of moving in the exact opposite direction of the interests of Syrians. It is a continuation of a methodology that facts have repeatedly proven leads only to ruin: raising prices before genuinely raising wages, and burdening the poor with the cost of what has been destroyed by flawed policies accumulated over decades, which continue today.
Any step of this kind, taken before finding an actual solution to the problem of low wages and the weak purchasing power of Syrians, can only be described as a new gamble with the already fragile social stability in Syria. When the cost of electricity during a single billing cycle exceeds the official minimum wage, it simply means that electricity is no longer a public service, but rather a commodity reserved only for the well-off. It means that the vast majority of Syrians—over 90% of whom live below the poverty line—will be forcibly pushed toward further marginalization and darkness.
The methodology behind the decision is even more dangerous than the decision itself. The economic situation continues to be managed with a simplistic, narrow-minded numerical logic that only recreates the same vicious cycle: the state raises prices under the pretext of covering its accumulated deficit—which is the result of both past and current economic policies that have drained non-inflationary sources of revenue in various ways—leading to weakened demand, further production paralysis, increased deficit once again, and yet another round of price hikes, always taken from the pockets of the poor Syrians.
It is important to note that any partial reversal of this decision would be merely an illusory step—just a cosmetic price reduction under the pressure of growing public and media anger—while the core problem remains unchanged. This tactic would allow the next move to be presented as a “response to people’s demands”, while in reality it would just solidify the pre-planned pricing step by step. Therefore, a “real reversal” means completely repealing the decision, not rephrasing it with new numbers.
Fully rolling back the mistake is not a weakness—it is a political and patriotic virtue. Acknowledging this mistake marks the beginning of the path toward changing a destructive economic course that can no longer tolerate patching or postponement. Raising prices before raising wages to a level that covers basic living needs is like building a roof before laying the foundation—the inevitable result is collapse over everyone’s heads.
What is needed today is not the “adjustment of tariffs” that shocked and angered Syrians, but a complete reversal of the decision and a change in the failed methodology of the collapsed authority that has continued to place the burden on those who have nothing, while offering generous exemptions and privileges to those who have everything.
The desired economy in Syria cannot be built by imposing new hardships on the Syrian people, but through a radical transformation of the wage system and fair distribution of national wealth. The past decades have proven that any “reform” that starts from people’s pockets will only lead to greater poverty, division, and security risks. Therefore, the only patriotic step possible today is a full reversal of the decision, and the opening of a public debate about subsidy and wage policies, as a national issue tied to the survival of Syrians living together on one land.
