President Al-Assad: Fighting Corruption Top Priority of Government’s Work in Coming Era

DAMASCUS, (ST)- President Bashar Al-Assad has stressed that the top priority of the government’s work in the coming era is fighting corruption.

Terrorism and corruption are two sides of the same coin

Chairing a meeting for the government on Thursday after he swore in newly- appointed ministers, President Al-Assad said that any defect in the state is a kind of corruption that causes chaos and frustration which leads to the fragmentation of the society, “therefore, many consider corruption and terrorism as two sides of the same coin”.

Prevention and deterrence

President Al-Assad made it clear that it is important and necessary to punish the corrupt, but what is more important is the prevention and deterrence against corruption. He reiterated that prevention starts from structure, regulations, laws and all the rules that govern institutions’ work, noting that the biggest part of corruption is caused by the gaps that exist in the laws.

 Urgent procedures needed

The president went on to say that all the ministers must take urgent procedures that achieve fast and tangible results, reiterating the need to punish corrupt persons and most importantly eliminate the corrupt environment as to decrease the number of corrupt employees and officials, thereby reaching better results in the accountability process.

Facilitating and simplifying the procedures citizens need is one of the ways of combating corruption, President Al-Assad said, noting the importance of expanding the centers which provide services for the citizens.

All those who assume posts must keep in mind that they are at the service of citizens not the opposite

The Syrian people, with all categories, have offered sacrifices and were patient with the armed forces and all who backed the army being on the top, so it is the right of all who kept patient and offered sacrifices to see the results of their patience, said President Al-Assad, stressing that “those have sacrificed for a better homeland and it is their right to see the better and it is our duty to help them see these results, foremost of which is combating corruption.”

The president concluded by stressing that all who assume posts should keep in mind that their work is public service and that they should be at the service of citizens, not the opposite.   

The newly- appointed ministers  who were sworn today before President Al-Assad are:  Lieutenant general Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun as  Interior Minister, Mohammad Rami Ridwan Martini as Minister of Tourism, Imad Mwafak al-Azab as Education Minister, Bassam Bashir Ibrahim as Minister of Higher Education, Suheil Mohammad Abdullatif as Minister of Public works and Housing, Eyad Mohammad al-Khatib as Minister of Communications and Technology and Mohammad Ma’an Zein al-Abiden Jazba as Minister of Industry.

Hamda Mustafa