Cabinet discusses immigration, economic, and social services issues

DAMASCUS – The Cabinet on Wednesday discussed a number of economic and social issues, on top of which was the issue of the immigration and human trafficking affecting Syrians abroad.

During its weekly session headed by Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi, the Cabinet said that there are organized crime networks involved in human trafficking that endanger the lives and future of Syrian persons, stressing the need to adopt all appropriate measures to deal with these crime syndicates that trade in the lives of Syrians, SANA reported.

 The Cabinet also tackled the increase in electricity rationing periods and the performance of some financial and service institutions.

Al-Halaqi directed the ministries of Local Administration and Petroleum to ensure that granting licenses to construct fuel stations are carried out in strict accordance to laws and regulations, highlighting the need to provide the optimal circumstances for production in the al-Sheikh Najjar industrial city.

In turn, Deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs, Minister of Local Administration Omar Ghalawanji gave a presentation on the status of services sectors and the efforts exerted to improve them.

For his part, Minister of Electricity Imad Khamis discussed the status of the power grid and the efforts made to decrease rationing hours, with Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Suleiman al-Abbas stressing that the ministry is due to increase fuel provided to electricity-generating stations as of today, and that the amount of gasoline and heating fuel provided to consumers will also be increased as of Wednesday.