The Syrian Economy Situation
Syrian economic and political figures held a session on the Syrian economic situation and challenges in the Abu Roumanah Culture Center, Damascus city on January 19th’s evening.
Zyad Ghusson, a journalist who works on economic and social topics, Mahmoud Marai , a political opposition leader, and Dr. Ala’a Adeen Asfari, political and economic researcher held a three-hour session to discuss the challenges of Syrian economy and how to find solutions for them.
The secretary general of the Damascus–based opposition Syrian National Democratic Action Commission Mahmoud Marai started the session by talking about the economic situation in Syria before the 2011 crisis and how governmental economic strategies resulted in flooding the Syrian markets with cheap Turkish goods which led to closing down a large number of Syrian factories and workshops in Damascus and Aleppo and creating an army of jobless youngwomen and men.
Marai talked about the Syrian crisis and how it badly affected the Syrian economy and paved the way for the Americans to occupy parts of the oil-rich Syrian lands with their local agents of the SDF militias.
Marai presented his views in how to strengthen the Syrian economy and launch a rebuilding process by holding a comprehensive political dialogue conference for all Syrian sides, government, local opposition and external opposition figures and groups, in Damascus.
Nagem Adeen Khreett, the President of the Syrian Communist United Party and former minister, agreed with Marai’s call to hold a comprehensive political dialogue conference in Damascus to start a political solution for the Syrian crisis and start the rebuilding and development process in the country.
Khreett called on the Syrian government to deal with the ongoing economic situation and establish a council of advisors from all political groups and parties to participate in laying down economic plans and measures to stop the deteriorating economic satiation.
Dr. Ala’a Adeen Asfari, political and economic researcher spoke about the American occupation of Syria’s oil, gas and fertile lands in northeast Syria which reflected badly on the Syrian economy.
“Pre-2011, Syria was producing 485.000 bpd and exporting half of them. Syria was exporting cotton, wheat and other agriculture products while today Syria imports wheat and flour,” Asfari said.
Asfari added that traders and businessmen from Aleppo and Damascus lost around 90 billion dollars in the Lebanese banks which adversely affected the Syrian business sector.
Asfari talked about the US sanctions and embargo on Syria and its effects on Syrians’ conditions of life and entrepreneurs.
“About 600 American and non-American economist and figures participated in formulating the Caesar Act which is daily updating online to harm more and more the Syrian government and people,” Asfari said.
Zyad Ghusson, economics columnist in Syrian and Arab papers and websites, gave a quick presentation on the food security for the Syrian families according to governmental statistics.
According to Ghusson, the deteriorating economic situation and increasing of international food prices and shipping industry expenses due to Corona pandemic badly affect the Syrian families’ food security and how to get their food stuff.
“90% of Syrian population is clustered around the poverty line,” Zyad Ghusson said.
Ghusson said that there are four economic regions in Syria, the governmental region, the Turkey -run region in north Aleppo, Idlib region and the US-backed SDF region.
“Turkey announced that it exported 1.8 billion USD goods and foodstuff to Syria but this is illegal trade movement and smuggling to the Turkey occupied areas and not a trade exchange,” Ghusson said to Syria Times. “The economic relations with our allies Russia and Iran are at a less than desirable level.”
A number of participants presented their questions and views on the Syrian economic situation, some of them shoulder the Syrian government responsibility for it and others blame the American and international sanctions and embargo.
