Syrian gov't decides measures to overcome possible impact of Ukraine crisis

DAMASCUS, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian cabinet on Thursday 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 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.

The decision also includes restricting exports during the next two months for materials that can contribute to market stability such as olive oil, preserved foodstuffs, 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.