Syria’s finance minister said Sunday that the government intended to increase the salaries of many public sector employees by 400% the next month, following the completion of an administrative reform of ministries to improve efficiency and accountability. The increase, estimated to cost 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds, or over $127 million at current exchange rates, would be financed by initiatives to unfreeze Syrian assets held abroad, new investments, and regional assistance.
According to Mohammed Abazeed, the finance minister in Syria’s interim government, public sector workers’ salaries for this month will be paid this week. “(This is) the first step towards an emergency solution to the economic reality in the country,” he told Reuters. After fighting and sanctions for 13 years, Syria’s new interim government has put into effect these steps as part of a larger plan to stabilize the country’s economy.
Like most Syrians, public sector workers under the overthrown administration of President Bashar Al Assad made about $25 per month, which put them below the poverty threshold, according to Abazeed.
The increase would impact individuals with the requisite experience, education, and abilities for reconstruction. It would come after a thorough review of up to 1.3 million registered public sector workers to eliminate fake workers from the payroll.
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