Supporting Crafts and Traditional Industries, a Necessity to Face Economic Challenges

The Sector of crafts and traditional industries plays a distinguished role in supporting the Syrian economy as it enjoys elements of success mainly the availability of markets and materials in addition to its steadfastness in the face of the economic crisis.

In its recent report under the title “Priorities of Economic Reform According to the Syrian Private Sector”, the Syrian Business Council (SBC) highlighted  the importance of the craft and the traditional industries in creating job opportunities in different  domains.

The Council called for supporting the crafts and traditional industries sector so as to face the current challenges and enhance the heritage and the cultural role of the Syrian tourism products.

Aiming at preserving the national traditional industries, the Council’s report warned against displaying traditional industries products and souvenirs, imported from East Asia, in the Syrian archeological sites as well as heritage and crafts markets that are famous all over the world of displaying Syrian products such as the Damascene sword and mosaic pieces.

It demanded the transforming of the General Craftsmen Union into a supporting commission aiming at ensuring all necessary requirements to help craftsmen achieve more progress and at working out a strategy to develop the craft and traditional industries sector with the partnership of the ministries of culture, tourism, economy and foreign trade and local administration in addition to the General Craftsmen Union and civil society organizations.

Rawaa Ghanam