The salary of a Syrian employee meets needs for a few days due to sanctions and the theft of Syria ‘ s resources by US

One of the facts that no one, inside Syria or abroad, can deny is that the Syrian state has abided by paying the salaries of public sector employees on time and every month despite western sanctions and the 10-year- long war on Syria. 

 

The monthly salary of employees has been a red line that was never approached regardless  of the fact that the average salary of a Syrian government employee now only meets the needs of the employees’ family for a few days because of unprecedented rise in the price of basic items.

 

On this point, the Arab political intellectual and University of Damascus economist  Dr. Ibrahim Alloush told Syria Times e-newspaper : “ The Syrian government has been totally committed to paying the salaries of public employees even in areas controlled by terrorists, separatists, and foreign occupations… This testifies to the commitment of the Syrian state to the welfare of all its citizens, and to Syria’s sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

 

Syrians still remember that the  so-called “ Syrian opposition”  betting  on the inability of the Syrian state to abide by paying the salaries of public sector employees three months after the start of the crisis in Syria in 2011. But the foreign-formed opposition lost the bet. 

 

“Paying the salaries of public sector employees in Syria throughout the war, and on time, has played an important role in keeping the Syrian economy running despite the vagaries of the war,” Dr. Alloush clarified. 

 

He went on to say: “These salaries represent a steady injection of cash rejuvenating aggregate demand in a war-ravaged economy since public employees need to buy groceries, pay rent, use transportation, etc…  If we take into account that public sector employees, including the armed forces, represent about 40% of total employment, this has helped uplift the private sector as well, especially small businesses.”

 

“Furthermore, this has helped lessen starvation and poverty for Syrians overall, which would have been much worse had the government not been committed to its public employees, despite decreasing public revenues and increasing public expenditures due to the war,” the economist stated. 

 

Moreover, he underlined that Syria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), estimated at 60 billion US dollars in 2010, has witnessed successive contractions in the early years of the war, with growth rates in the negative double-digits per year.

 

“Obviously, this has led to drastic decreases in the standard of living of Syrians as represented by GDP per capita, which is obtained by dividing GDP by the number of people residing in the country.  Needless to say, poverty, in absolute and relative terms, malnourishment, and a general impoverishment of the population has been the natural outcome of such a state of affairs,” Dr. Alloush concluded. 

 

About one year ago, the Central Office of Statistics in Syria asserted that 80% of Syrians are living below the line of poverty as the number of employees in public and private sectors are 2.661.659, whose salaries are SYP 65.000 and they are breadwinners for 13. 3081.95 people, according to a report published by Shaamtime website in May 2020.  

 

In 2010, the average public sector salary was 11.000 Syrian pound (SYP)  and the Syrian pound traded at 47 to the US dollar then, which means that the salary of employee equaled  $234; however now, the salary of employee has reached SYP65.000 but the pound has hit more than 3500 against the dollar in the black market because of the sanctions and speculation. This means that the current salary of a first class employee equals $18!!

 

The salary was enough to meet basic needs of most families before the start of the war on/ in Syria in 2011, But now harsh living conditions are putting pressure on all those who depend on their efforts to obtain sufficient income.

 

A recent report by the Damascus-based Al-Watan newspaper estimated that a Syrian family would need 650.000 Syrian pound ($186) per month because of the hike in prices of food, clothes, medicine-you name it. 

 

The 2021 budget indicates that Syria will occupy itself with ensuring the possible standards of living for its population. No easy task given the acute economic crisis gripping the country due to the theft of its resources by the US and Turkish occupation forces and their mercenaries. 

 

Recently, Minister of Information Imad Sarah declared that 80% of the current acute economic crisis is related to sanctions being imposed on Syria, while 20% of it is related to corruption. 

 

 

Media reports assert that the continuity of the occupation of oil-rich areas in north and east Syria by US occupation forces and their ” Syrian Democratic Forces” militia will take  the situation out of the frying pan and into the fire. 

 

in this Video, Syrian actor Bassem Yakhour toured several markets in Damascus to show what can SYP1000 ($0.29) buy in Syria ? 

 

https://youtu.be/0vnUTciHa5s

 

Basma Qaddour