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ISIS controls every detail of the economy to gain a foothold and establish authority in the areas it claims to govern .Its revenues were estimated to be $1.4 to $1.5 billion per year ,according to CARNEGIE ENDDOWMENT FOR INTERNALTION PEACE.It should be noted that the group rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars a year from collecting taxes .
ISIS relays on collecting taxes in areas under its control as one of its main sources of revenue,additionally the group collect taxes in all the different domains of work and services under the pretext of ”Zakat” which is utilized as a justification for stealing people’s money in the region.These taxes include all aspects of life as they are imposed on shops owners,pharmacies,rental properties,peasants ,stalls ;street vendors; land owners and so on.Furthermore,they are arbitrary and unujust and people do not benefit from any services in return.
Local sources indicated to Deir Ezzor 24 that the organization is suffering from weakness in oil production in Deir Ezzor province at the current time following the US-Led coalition airstrikes that were concentrated on ISIS-run oil fields in the area which led the group to increase its hefty taxes in Deir Ezzor which even include electricity and water payment bills,in addition to the agricultural lands and so on.
ISIS Zakat department has recently issued orders to people who receive or send money to get a clearance on each transfer to ensure money is zakat-able,it should be noted that Zakat department is the one in charge of collecting and imposing taxes in ISIS-run areas.
The organization also imposed new taxes on peasants that are beneficiaries of ISIS-run irrigation channels in each of the villages of al Shaheel,al Dayban,and al Hawayej in the countryside of Deir Ezzor,despite the fact that It does not provide any maintenance or operation services of such channels.