Syria’s World Bank debt repaid
Minimum wage to be tripled
Syrian pensions rise by 200%
Syria has announced significant increases in the salaries and wages of public sector employees.
Under the decree issued by interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the minimum wage for government employees was raised to 750,000 Syrian pounds per month, or $75, from $25, state-run Sana news agency reported.
The increase covers the salaries of civilian and military employees in ministries, departments, public institutions and joint ventures with at least 50 percent state ownership.
Another decree granted a 200 percent increase to retirement pensioners.
This month central bank governor Abdulkader Husrieh said that Syria will be fully reconnected to the Swift global payment system within weeks.
The move comes after the US lifted its sanctions in May after 14 years, allowing the rebuilding of the war-torn nation to commence. The European Union has also lifted economic sanctions. However, geopolitical tensions in the region remain high as a result of the Israel-Iran conflict.
In March, Reuters reported that the UK unfroze the assets of Syria’s central bank and 23 other entities, including banks and oil companies, reversing sanctions imposed during Bashar Al-Assad’s presidency.
In May Saudi Arabia and Qatar jointly repaid Syria’s $15.5 million outstanding debt to the World Bank.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said this month that the kingdom and Qatar will jointly offer financial support to Syria.
