Syria's economic reforms widen wealth gap

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DAMASCUS, July 1 (AFP): A dazzling new storefront here, a bare midriff there-a transition to a market-based economy is changing Syrians' way of life and, analysts say, stretching the gap between rich and poor.
In 2005, at the ruling Baath party congress, Syria committed itself to a process of economic liberalisation through a market economy system aimed at "attracting investments, relaunching growth and creating jobs."
Two years later and the changes are tangible, from chic new streetwear to luxury cars, computers and satellite television-Syrian consumers have never had it so good or so liberal.
Take a drive around Damascus and roadside billboards offering the latest deals and gizmos are slowly replacing the portraits of political leaders that once dominated the landscape.
In the chic Abu Rummaneh district, crowds window-shop under the gaze of coffee-aficionados apparently captivated by the low-slung hipsters, bare bellies and tight T-shirts currently in vogue.
"The liberalisation of the economy has allowed a real clothing revolution. Even if the standard of living leaves much to be desired, and 'designer label' clothes are still the privilege of the rich, the label 'made in Syria' is producing fashionable clothes at affordable prices," says Salem Seif, a specialist in ready-to-wear gear.
The old cars of the 1960s and 1970s, patched-up and welded together by skilled metalworkers, are ceding place to new luxury models, preferably German.
And the information technology revolution is in full swing, with an explosion of satellite dishes and Internet cafes where only last decade communications were once tightly monitored by paranoid officialdom.
"Only 12 years ago, telecommunications were just a pious vow. Everything that resembled a telephone link was under tight surveillance," recalled Mazen, a mobile phone distributor.
Ownership of a fax was punishable by a spell in prison, the Internet didn't exist and local television was limited to two boring stations.
Now, according to official figures, nearly 65 per cent of Syrian homes have a satellite dish compared with 18 per cent in 2000.
Nearly 1.1 million out of Syria's 19-million people are now connected to the Internet, according to figures from the Syrian Telecommunication Establishment. At the end of 2006 some 4.2 million Syrians were mobile phone subscribers.