Al-Halaqi: Recent pay raise cost to state treasury exceeds SYP 80 billion

DAMASCUS – Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi said that the recent pay raise decrees cost the state treasure over SYP 80 billion, and that the government is making stringent efforts to bridge the gap between prices and wages in order to improve citizens’ living conditions and standards.

 Chairing a weekly Cabinet session, al-Halaqi stressed that national economy cannot grow under the current circumstances without self-reliance, national industries, and developing the agriculture sector, SANA reported.

He also denounced the abduction of Shebli Jannoud, the secretary of al-Baath Party branch in Sweida, by terrorists, saying that this incident is part of the efforts to sow strife.

During the session, the Cabinet finalized procedures for issuing a bill that allows military personnel who sustained injuries that cause disfigurement or disability to request a car with a 1.6 liter gasoline-powered engine that is exempt of taxes and fees.

The ministers also discussed a memo from the Interior Ministry on the illegal immigration of Syrians and the causes, ramifications, and solutions for this phenomenon.