Al-Julani HTS imposes new taxes on foreign remittances in Idlib
To support his organization and secure salaries for his gunmen in Idlib, Al-Julani imposes new monthly taxes on each external transfer under the name of the “General Authority for Zakat” and requires the delivery of a copy of the transfer to check the remittance.
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Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militants in Idlib
Although Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra (the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), extorts a monthly fee from all exchange and money transfer offices located in the areas controlled by the terrorist group in Idlib, the latter decided to impose new taxes on every external money transfer and demanded a hard copy with information about the recipient.
The new taxes imposed by Al-Julani, the head of HTS, came in parallel with the depreciation of the euro to equal the value of the dollar for the first time in more than 20 years, which greatly affected the value of the transfer of remittances.
Local sources told Al Mayadeen that the so-called Tax Authority imposed 50 Turkish liras on every 100 euros or 100 dollars exchanged, in addition to the value of transfer and exchange fees that exchange and transfer companies receive regularly. This step led to a decrease in the received financial value by the recipient in light of the difficult economic conditions experienced by Syrian citizens and their great dependence on foreign remittances.
The so-called HTS Zakat Authority also requested a hard copy of the exchange and money transfer office detailing each transaction and its recipient. These documents should be provided to HTS on a daily basis to calculate the due taxes, and refraining from such actions will cause the exchange and money transfer office to be closed and to pay a hefty fine to HTS.
More than 36 companies and 50 money transfer and exchange offices are spread in the areas under Al-Julani’s control, owned by close associates of HTS, in addition to multiple companies owned by Turkish and Saudi citizens.
Sources revealed that Al-Julani owns stakes in more than 10 money transfer and exchange companies, including a company in Istanbul with its headquarters in Hazano, Idlib, in addition to the Ansar company with its headquarters in Idlib city, and the Shamna company with its headquarters in Al-Mastouma, Idlib.
Exchange and money transfer companies and offices secure a large income for Al-Julani’s treasury on a daily basis, contributing to supporting his terrorist organization and securing salaries for his militants, at the expense of lowering the value of those transfers that reach the Syrian citizens from their relatives abroad, which sometimes are no longer sufficient to pay for their basic requirements, in light of the additional new taxes and the rise of prices and unemployment.
