Asking lessors opposing the decision to leave | “Salvation Government” raises rental fees of shops belonging to “Awqaf Ministry” in Idlib
On June 24, tens of civilians staged a demonstration in Idlib city, protesting the new decision issued by “Awqaf Ministry” of the “Salvation Government,” the executive wing of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham. The decision stipulated the cancellation of ownership contracts of several shops whose owners had bought from the Ministry of Awqaf of the Syrian regime, years before the onset of the Syrian Revolution. On the other hand, the “Awqaf Ministry” of the “Salvation Government” has raised the rental fees of shops, demanding lessors pay extra money or vacate these shops.
The demonstrators described this decision as “unjust,” as it aims at enabling the “Salvation Government” to seize many shops, although the owners had already paid a large share of the total value of these shops to the Syrian regime government. On the other hand, the lessors had paid symbolic rental fees and they are unable to afford the new rents.
The protestors who demonstrated at Al-Sa’a square in Idlib city centre lifted placards with slogans written on them, which read “cessation of the work of Awqaf Ministry is a public demand – Awqaf Ministry imposes levies! Why do not we treat according to the Islamic Sharia?! – a revolution which remains firm so far has to obtain victory.” Meanwhile, the demonstrators have refused to hand over their shops to the “Salvation Government.”
Reliable SOHR sources have reported that many civilians had purchased shops belonging to the Ministry of Awqaf of the Syrian regime years ago, some of the shops have been purchased nearly 50 years ago, where some of owners had paid nearly 80 percent of the total value of their shops to regime government. Moreover, regime government rented out other shops to civilians. However, the “Salvation Government” raised the monthly rental fees which reached 30 to 50 USD per a shop, shortly after Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham had captured Idlib city.
SOHR sources have also confirmed that the lessors were shocked when they headed to the “Awqaf Ministry” headquarters to pay this month’s rents, as they were informed that the rental fee of each shop has been risen to 150 to 350 USD a month. According to many civilians, the new rental fees are normal compared to the rent dues of other shops in Idlib city. However, the owners and lessors of the shops, which had belonged to Awaqaf Ministry, opposed the new decision, before Awaqaf Ministry warned them that they must comply with the new prices or evacuate the shops.
Speaking to SOHR, the owner of a real-estate office in Idlib known by his initials as A. H. has said “in general, the rental fees of shops in Idlib city are varying and not unified. Shops in some neighbourhoods of the city are rented out for 60 to 200 USD, while the rental value of shops in other areas in the city reaches 300 USD. Also, the rent of shops with large spaces and those which are located in commercials areas reaches 400 USD each, and this is the maximum rental value of shops inside Idlib city. Many factors affect the rental due of each shop, such as the space of the shop, its location, equipment and quality of finishing.”
Commenting on Awqaf Ministry’s decision, A. H. says “if the decision plays out in favour of civilians in the city, then it is good and the shop owners will not be affected greatly by the decision. The rental value in Idlib city is identified, and the ‘Salvation Government’ has not asked for exaggerated rental fees, especially since these shop owners turn good profits. Some shop owners have immigrated from Syria and authorised their relatives to run these shops, while others had sold their shops. It is logical when the ‘Salvation Government’ claims that the rental fees of real estate, which had belonged to the Ministry of Awqaf, cannot remain much less than the common rental value in Idlib city. However, the ‘Salvation Government’ should not impose fixed rental fees on all shops, as some shops do not deserve more than 50 USD as a monthly rental fee. Most of the shops covered by the decision are located in neighbourhoods in Idlib city centre and their real rental value can reach 150 USD up to 300 USD a month.”
Despite discontent of owners and lessors of these shops at the Awqaf Ministry’s decision which they consider as “a new attempt by the Salvation Government to collect money from civilians and make them shoulder more burdens,” some residents see that this decision is logical and supposed to be issued earlier. According to these residents, shop owners are aware of the real rental value of shops inside Idlib city. However, they refuse to pay real payments to the Ministry of Awaqf, noting that the owners themselves rent out houses they own to displaced people for high prices.
A displaced civilian known as M. S. from the western countryside of Hama and now living in Idlib city has told SOHR, “the rental fees of houses in Idlib approximate 150 to 200 USD per a house, while shops are rented out for higher prices. It is not logical that shop owners, who rent out their houses to displaced people for 200 USD a month, refuse to pay more than 30 USD as monthly rents of shops which they use to turn profits. Rental fees have to be sorted under several categories according to specifications of each shop, including the shop’s space, location and equipment. The rental value and sale and purchase prices of shops that belong to Awqaf Ministry should not be much less than common prices and value of other shops in the city, especially since the revenue of renting out these shops contributes to developing projects serving the city’s residents, while a share of this money is distributed to poor families.”
The man has called for identifying the rental fees of shops belonging to Awqaf Ministry to be similar to the rental value of other shops in the city, and he has called upon the Ministry of Awqaf to pump the money into useful projects serving the city’s residents. The man has also demanded shop owners, who protest the new increase in rental fees and refuse to pay more than 30 USD a month as a rent for each shop, denounce the increase in rental fees of houses inhabited by displaced people and work on reducing them.
It is worth noting that these shops had belonged to individuals who gifted them to the Ministry of Awqaf of the Syrian regime a long time ago with the aim of supporting Islamic projects, such as establishing mosques, providing them with needed supplies and equipment, establishing centres for “Islamic Dawa” (calling to Islam, like preachers do) and helping poor families.
It is also worth noting that Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham and the “Salvation Government” have seized hundreds of houses and shops inside Idlib city. Most of these real-estate units belong to civilians living in regime-controlled areas and asylum countries, while some belong to civilians of religious minorities, such as Christian civilians, where HTS invest in these units with the help of the so-called “Spoils of War Committee.”