Ways to Alleviate the War’s Impacts on National Economy Discussed

DAMASCUS- The negative impacts of the ongoing foreign-backed war against Syria on national economy and ways of alleviating the repercussions of the unjust economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people were main topics tackled during the al-Baath Dialogue Forum this week in Damascus.

Senior Baath Party officials, ministers, People’s Assembly members in addition to representatives of economic, social and civil society parties took part in the forum.

The participants urged focus on encouraging agricultural industries, establishing factories and plants in areas where basic materials of industry are produced. They called for controlling the cutting of trees, providing farmers with production needs, benefiting from alternative energy like biogas, putting an end to sheep smuggling and establishing natural reserves.

Focus was also put on reactivating small industrial facilities which provide thousands of job opportunities and on supporting inventors and innovators particularly in the domain of industry. The participants called for maintaining the purchase strength and value of the Syrian pound and for encouraging businessmen to make investments to push the country’s process of reconstruction forward.

According to Minister of Agriculture Ahmad al-Qaderi,  the extraordinary circumstances Syria has been experiencing over the past three years, have had negative impacts on the agricultural sector in terms of providing necessary production equipments and agricultural services as a result of destroying the infrastructure and the agricultural production facilities.

 However, he said the ministry has worked to increase the production capacity of several agricultural facilities in several provinces, including Homs, Sweida, Damascus Countryside and Lattakia.

He added that despite the negative impacts of the crisis, all agricultural products are still available in local markets and further there  have been surplus in some products like citrus fruits and olives . In addition, the livestock enjoys internationally-recognized good health condition.

On his part, Industry Minister Kamaluddin Tumeh said that destroying the infrastructure of factories and stealing their equipments in some provinces reduces production and exports and led to inflation and a drop in the Syrian pound value.

Toumeh went on to say that the Ministry is keen on rehabilitating the industrial facilities, damaged by terrorist attacks, through providing funds and loans to some industrial companies and establishments. He pointed out that the ministry has restored work at full capacity in 160 factories in Sheikh Najjar industrial area in Aleppo and there are constant efforts to rehabilitate the rest of the factories.

Hamda Mustafa