Syrian Parliament Postpones Energy Minister’s Hearing to Sunday
The Syrian Parliament announced on Wednesday that it has postponed a hearing session for Minister of Energy Mohammed Al-Bashir. The session, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled for this coming Sunday, September 20.
According to an official statement, the postponement was requested by the Ministry of Energy to provide the necessary time for completing technical and administrative preparations for the files slated for discussion.
The Ministry of Energy clarified that while the session was initially focused on discussing the pricing of petroleum derivatives, the scope of the discussion has been broadened to cover various critical sectors under the ministry’s purview. The upcoming Sunday session is now expected to address files related to electricity, water, water resources, as well as the oil and mining sectors. Consequently, the ministry requested the additional time to ensure comprehensive explanations could be provided regarding the operations of these sectors.
Earlier on Monday, the Parliament’s bureau had approved the request to hold the session, which was submitted by the Chairman of the Energy Committee, Iqbal Mohammed Mansour. This parliamentary move was initiated in accordance with Article 30 of the Constitutional Declaration and Article 168 of the Parliament’s internal regulations, with the objective of examining the causes of recent price increases in petroleum derivatives and the circumstances surrounding them.
It is noted that the Standing Committee for Determining the Prices of Petroleum Products and Mineral Wealth issued a new, temporary price schedule for petroleum derivatives last Saturday. At that time, the Ministry of Energy justified the adjustments by citing an exceptional rise in the global costs of securing these products, compounded by the maintenance period of the Baniyas refinery. The ministry emphasized that this decision was a temporary measure intended to ensure the continued flow of supplies and the availability of essential materials in the local market.
