Premier: Improving Investment Environment Is Significant for Success of Projects and Investment Visions

 DAMASCUS, (ST) – The participants in the First Syrian Investment Forum, which started on Monday entitled “Syria … Towards the Future” under the patronage of Prime Minister Imad Khamis, focused on the prospects of developing and encouraging investments by providing all necessary facilities and putting them into practice.

 At the beginning of the forum, Eng. Khamis inaugurated the exhibition of investment projects, which included about 150 investment projects in various governorates. He also reviewed the projects included in the exhibition in various fields of agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, energy and services.

  Eng. Khamis underlined that this forum represents a great national event that proves to the world that the Syrian has continued the policy of reform and development under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.

“The Syrian state today affirms, despite all the surrounding terrorist plots, that Syria is stronger than the challenges and that it has never ceased to support the development and reform process with projects and activities that ensure the continuation of the wheel of life in Syria,” Eng. Khamis said.

Eng. Khamis: Administrative Reform and Development project Carries Strong Messages

The Prime Minister explained that this forum coincides with the administrative reform project launched by President Bashar A-Assad. The project carries strong messages that Syria, after seven years of unjust war, has begun to recover and is still a strong country fighting terrorism on the one hand and carrying on the process of development on the other hand, considering that the project is a declaration of victory to build the Syrian institutions within the comprehensive reconstruction process.

Eng. Khamis explained that improving and developing the administrative structure of the operating institutions improves the way of dealing with investment and other economic activities and enhances the satisfaction of investors and clients with the quality of services provided. He stressed that the government will work hard to put the program launched by President al -Assad into effect.

“Improving the investment environment is a necessary condition for the success of projects and investment visions, and it is not possible to envisage any project to improve this environment better than the project of development and administrative modernization. He pointed out that investment management is the determining factor and its destiny between success and failure, which emphasizes the importance of concerted efforts among all partners to provide appropriate conditions for good management of investment,” he pointed out.

Eng. Khamis explained that the government is well aware of the importance of joining progress on the investment projects and the surrounding investment structure, whereas this forum forms an opportunity to announce a new stage in the development of economic activity characterized by the readiness of the Syrian economy to launch a new wave of investments, stressing the need to build these investments on the basis of confidence in the homeland and the inevitability of a fair partnership among all national partners, as well as confidence in Syrian competencies as a catalyst for growth and overcoming crises.

Eng. Khamis: Investment is a National Responsibility

Eng. Khamis added that the investment will be a national responsibility for all of us to carry out our civilizational mission not only at the level of the region, but also in the world, pointing out that the government will approach the investment file in its broadest way, assume its responsibilities towards it and provide all kinds of support and care to reflect the potential of the Syrian mind in achieving victory and reconstruction.

“The government has worked during its first year on an economic strategy based on three pillars of the work is to provide and ensure the needs of our armed forces and the requirements of steadfastness and success in the face of terrorism and re-launch the productive capacities of the country because of the positive effects on the national economy and promote steadfastness and improve living conditions to citizens and to alleviate as much as possible their suffering,”Eng. Khamis said.

He added that the efforts of the government resulted in the return of hundreds of industrial facilities and factories to work again and the return of large areas of agricultural land to the production cycle, as well as the re-investment of many oil and gas fields.

Engineer Khamis: The Government Works to Take off Projects Supporting the Reconstruction Phase

Eng. Khamis pointed out that the government has turned towards looking ahead and working to create the conditions and possibilities for taking off projects that will support the stages of recovery and reconstruction. The procedures for putting the participatory law in place, he added,  have been completed either by issuing its executive instructions or by proposing a number of important projects for investment which regulates investment work to become more encouraging and in keeping with the changes that have been made in recent years.

He pointed out that this forum, including discussions between the government and investors on various issues and points related to the investment climate and the projects proposed for investment represents a qualitative leap in the investment work in terms of the size and type of projects offered and their geographical and sectorial distribution and economic feasibility, hoping that this forum to form a base to make decisions that contribute to improving the investment climate, attract the national and foreign investors and solve all the problems and difficulties facing the investor.

Information Minister: Investment Forum is an Evidence of Economic Recovery

In a statement to journalists, Minister of Information Eng. Mohammad Ramez Turjman said that the establishment of the forum and the launch of such a large number of diverse projects “is an evidence of the start of the rotation of the economic wheel and the recovery of the national economy.

“The environment and investment climate in Syria has become very good and unique, especially in terms of the return of security. The forum also sends a message to the private sector and businessmen that they must be true, positive and active partners along with the public sector in the reconstruction of Syria,” Mr. Turjeman said.

Participants in Investment Forum Discuss Facilities and Prospects of Financing Investment Projects

The participants in the activities of the first session of the Syrian Investment Forum held at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus discussed the investment facilities and prospects of financing the investment projects with the participation of the Prime Minister Eng. Imad Khamis.

Regarding the government’s procedures to provide the investment environment, Eng. Khamis said that the government is taking serious steps to form the core of the investment development and increase production and is keen to provide all the necessary support for the establishment of investment projects, adding that “Since the early hours of our work in the government we adopted a new vision of development of the public and private investment structure. He pointed to the government’s continued support to the agricultural sector and livestock and encouraging them to re-invest arable land.

“We are ready to provide all the necessary guarantees for the establishment of investment projects including loans, legal facilities and tax exemptions, noting the importance of cooperation and coordination between the government and investors to work on building a common vision for the development of the Syrian economy,” Eng. Khamis said.

He stressed the importance of the national dimension in the investment reality and the government is ready to receive and encourage every Syrian businessman forced by the crisis conditions to travel and now wants to return.

For his part, the Minister of Finance Dr. Mamoun Hamdan referred to the efforts made by the economic team to develop the national economy to benefit all segments of society, pointing out that this can be achieved through the use of state resources according to priorities.

Concerning the issue of financing, Mr. Hamdan clarified that the public sector has many investment projects that public and private banks must contribute to the implementation and development through the provision of loans for investment projects according to priority.

The head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry, who is Chairman of the Aleppo Chamber of Industry, Fares Al-Shihabi, stressed the importance of the investment forum as “a remarkable step on the right path in the investment sphere,  referring  to the importance of tax exemptions, operational loans for employment insurance for factories and the need to issue a new investment law that helps to create a suitable economic and investment environment for work and production.

On the one hand, The head of the Syrian Exporters’ Federation, Mohammed al-Sawah, pointed out that the export is related to quality and that the export activation requires support, especially the free shipping, stressing that the government has recently provided great support in this regard, but the problem is that Syria is a besieged country so it needs to secure a maritime fleet and means of air freight.

For his part, the head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Agriculture, Mohamed Keshto, considered that the development of the Syrian economy needs supporting the agricultural sector with all possibilities because of its importance in the steadfastness of the country. The evidence is that despite the terrorist war and siege Syria is exposed to, there is no shortage of agricultural species in addition to support the sector of livestock that achieves an added value to the economy.

Minister of Tourism: Great Facilities for Investors; Private Sector is an Important  Partner

On the sidelines of the forum, a press conference was held by the Minister of Tourism Bisher al- Yaziji said that “the first Syrian investment forum will be a new start for investment in Syria,” promising “with great facilities for investors, especially in development projects.”

The Minister of Tourism, inthe presence of  Ministers of Industry, the Local Administration and the Environment, , Finance, Economy and Foreign Trade said that “the great attendance of investors in the forum confirms their national sense” despite all the circumstances and that the government has always stood by investors.

“We are working to create an investment environment in Syria that is competitive with all countries and to match the stage of victory that it is experiencing,” he said by simplifying the procedures and creating attractive facilities for investors according to their projects, especially development ones, Mr. Yaziji said.

He pointed to the importance of partnership with the private sector to discuss the facilities, procedures, legislation and laws related to investment to be a partner in all joints, noting that a thousand investment projects have been rehabilitated during the past years.

For his part, the Minister of Industry referred to the facilitations to be submitted for new investment projects, stressing that the government is keen to modernize the legislative environment to encourage the investment sector.

Sh. Kh.