Damascus has sharply increased petrol prices in regime-held areas of Syria, saying that US sanctions had left it with no alternative. The cost per liter of the 100-liter ration of subsidized petrol motorists are allowed each month has risen from 250 to 450 Syrian pounds (36 US cents at the official exchange rate, 20 US cents at the black market one). The cost of unsubsidized petrol also went up, rising from 296 to 650 pounds a liter, the trade ministry said late Tuesday. The ministry blamed the price hikes on "the great cost to the government in securing oil derivatives and the increase in transport costs in light of the unjust blockade imposed by the US administration". Consumers were quick to criticize the price hikes, which came a day after the price of industrial fuel oil shot up from 296 to 650 pounds a liter. "Everything will start costing more with the fuel prices going up," complained one Facebook user. The head of the regime, Bashar al-Assad, announced several measures on Wednesday to mitigate the impact on the most needy, raising the income tax threshold and ordering the payment of a one-off grant of 50,000 Syrian pounds to all public sector employees, military or civilian. Heating fuel, petrol and cooking gas have been in short supply in regime-held areas for years, and motorists have grown used to long queues to fill up. The United States has imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on the Syrian government, the most recent in mid-June.