Under President Al-Assad’s Directives, Government Earmarks SYP 6.5 billion to Homs Rehabilitation Projects

HOMS, (ST)-Under the directives of President Bashar Al-Assad, a sum of SYP 6.5 billion has been earmarked to the development of the services sectors in Homs province and to the rehabilitation projects of Homs old city.

The remarks were made by Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi during his visit to Homs governorate to inspect the performance of the services, economic and administrative sectors in the governorate and of the maintenance workshops in the old city.

Al-Halqi, who said that the budget will go to improving development sectors and to providing requirements of emergency response plans in Homs, stressed the government’s keenness to rehabilitate all what the armed terrorist groups had damaged, particularly the infrastructure so as to ensure a suitable circumstances for the return of the citizens displaced by the terrorists from their areas.

During his visit, the premier inspected the industrial facilities and factories in Hessya industrial city and the project of building temporary housing centers near the industrial city. The project, which is expected to be accomplished by next year, is to build 800 apartments that ensure temporary stay to 4000 people, a health center and schools.

During a meeting at the governorate’s headquarters, al-Halqi was briefed on the planning and organizational studies dedicated for reconstructing the destroyed districts of Homs.

He also visited downtown Homs and saw the huge destruction caused to governmental institutions and citizens’ houses as well as to religious Moslem and Christian places. He urged concerned parties to do their best to achieve gradual rehabilitation and restoration to the damaged sites as soon as possible.

In the same context, under the patronage of President Al-Assad, al-Halqi opened the Martyrs Square in downtown Homs and hoisted the Syrian flag over it. The event turned into a public festival that reflected the Syrian people’s national unity and stressed their determination to make the process of national reconciliation a success and to start reconstructing the country.

He also met representatives of political, economic, social and religious parties as well as people’s organizations, and civil society associations. He said the government “will assess the damage caused to the governmental institutions so as to launch the necessary rehabilitation process.”

On the coming presidential elections, al-Halqi said “this constitutional process is progressing towards its destination the way the Syrian people like.”

In a press conference upon his visit to Homs, al-Halqi said the visit aimed to launch the emergency reconstruction process and to resume production in all sectors.

H. Mustafa