Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – The People’s Assembly continued on Tuesday discussing the ministerial statement of the new government on its work program for the next stage.
The Assembly members called for addressing the issue of missing people and abductees as soon as possible, as well as monitoring prices, improving living standards, and curbing manipulation of currency exchange rates.
They also called for supporting the agricultural sector, improving the performance of the administrative sector, having the media sector expose corruption, compensating people affected by terrorism in Deir Ezzor, enforcing the role of law, and curbing tax evasion and bribes.
Responding to the members’ queries and comments, Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi said that the government is working hard to achieve balance between resources and expenditures, which is no easy feat in light of the terrorist war affecting the country, noting that the added daily expenses prompted increasing the state general budget despite decreasing income and resources.
Al-Halaqi said that the concept of rationalizing subsidies which was put forth in the statement is needed to meet the current challenges and limit expenditures and curb corruption.
He also stressed that the recently devised partnership law isn’t the same as privatizing; rather it seeks to increase the public sector’s assets through cooperation with investors, noting that partnership involves the public, private, and civil sectors as well as friendly countries.
The Premier asserted the government’s commitment to helping the families of martyrs and injured army personnel, with decisions being made to provide work for family members and treatment for the injured, in addition to providing financial assistant.
He said that the recent shortage in diesel fuel was caused by inconsistency in the arrival of tankers to Syrian harbors, asserting that four tankers will begin arriving as of September 29th, so this issue will be resolved soon.
Al-Halaqi also said that the government provided relief aid valued at SYP 100 billion dispensed to around 6.2 million affected sides, in addition to providing SYP 19 billion as compensation for affected individuals, with compensations for farmers to be dispensed soon.
He also noted that the government is supporting the public sector’s imports with around EUR 2.5 million each day.
Hazem Sabbagh
