Mounting Criticism over Syrian Government Failure to Manage Economic Crises

Protests in Suwayda, southern Syria, last August (file photo: AP)
Protests in Suwayda, southern Syria, last August (file photo: AP)
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Mounting Criticism over Syrian Government Failure to Manage Economic Crises

Protests in Suwayda, southern Syria, last August (file photo: AP)
Protests in Suwayda, southern Syria, last August (file photo: AP)

Syria's recent budget approval created a firestorm of criticism, questioning the government's ability to handle the economic crisis.

The government claims it is proceeding with its decisions to reduce the deficit, which reached unprecedented levels this year.

The initial allocations for the 2024 draft general budget amounted to SYP35,500 billion, divided into SYP26,500 billion for current spending and SYP9,000 billion for investments. The total deficit amounted to SYP9,404 billion.

Syrian economic expert Amer Shahda wrote on his Facebook page that the government's monetary policy from September 2018 until 2023 led to a profound imbalance in the distribution of national income.

The policy transferred public treasury funds from the state to a small group of financiers, representing 5% of Syrians.

He described them as a highly affluent group that gained wealth through theft, corruption, and control over economic decisions approved by the government, while 95 percent of Syrians were below the poverty line.

Shahda pointed out that the budget deficit in 2011 amounted to SYP547 billion, while the deficit in 2024 will reach more than SYP9,000 billion, in light of mismanagement and poor planning.

The government seeks to alleviate the deficit through a package of decisions that lead to removing subsidies, with successive decisions to raise fuel prices already 20% higher than those of neighboring countries.

Wage increases of 100% in late 2023 were instantly nullified by a 250% price surge and a plummeting lira, bringing the exchange rate to SYP15,000 per dollar.

Furthermore, economic journalist Ziad Ghosn criticized the government's policy, which operates with the mentality of the past, relying on tactics like "gradually lifting subsidies" instead of finding alternatives and new solutions.

Ghosn wrote an article on the Sham FM website, saying that increasing public treasury revenues requires radical changes rather than easy, traditional ones that the government resorts to, such as dramatically increasing the prices of goods and related services.

He explained that finding alternative solutions is unsuitable for a group operating in an environment that does not belong to the future.

Earlier this year, Damascus hosted several meetings and events with the participation of businessmen, chambers of industry and commerce, and government representatives who engaged in open dialogues about economic policies and the need to find ways out of the growing crises.

The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) in Syria held a symposium with government officials to discuss the economic situation and wages.

Average salaries range between SYP200,000 and SYP300,000, equivalent to $13-$20, and according to local media reports, a family of four needs more than SYP10 million to survive, which is about $700.

Journalist Maad Issa said the national labor market is linked to "crises and government decisions" and that every crisis creates new job opportunities regardless of the legitimacy of these opportunities.

In an article in al-Thawra newspaper, Issa explained that the electricity crisis created entire markets for equipment in which many merchants participated without oversight.

Inflation also contributed to the emergence and maintenance of the money counter trade.

The author pointed out that this transformation caused a distortion in the work environment, and every day, Syria is losing dozens of university graduates, academics, doctors, engineers, and craftsmen who chose to leave the country for better opportunities.



Lebanese Parties Warn Against Hezbollah Keeping Light Weapons

Lebanese Shiite mourners gathered on Monday in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashura in a ceremony organized by Hezbollah (AFP)
Lebanese Shiite mourners gathered on Monday in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashura in a ceremony organized by Hezbollah (AFP)
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Lebanese Parties Warn Against Hezbollah Keeping Light Weapons

Lebanese Shiite mourners gathered on Monday in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashura in a ceremony organized by Hezbollah (AFP)
Lebanese Shiite mourners gathered on Monday in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashura in a ceremony organized by Hezbollah (AFP)

A recent proposal circulating in Lebanon that would allow Hezbollah to retain its light weapons while surrendering heavy and medium arms has triggered widespread political backlash, with critics warning it poses a grave threat to state sovereignty and public safety.

The suggestion, floated amid long-running debate over the group’s arsenal, argues that other political parties and armed groups also possess light weapons for various reasons. But key political factions have rejected the idea outright, citing Lebanon’s bloody past and the potential for renewed violence.

Opponents of the proposal have pointed to the events of May 7, 2008, when Hezbollah fighters overran parts of Beirut and Mount Lebanon in a show of military force, underscoring the dangers of allowing any non-state group to keep arms.

“Classifying weapons as heavy, medium or light is useless,” said Kataeb Party leader Sami Gemayel in a post on X. “If heavy arms threaten Lebanon’s regional security, light weapons are even more dangerous to the foundations of the state.”

Gemayel reiterated that only the Lebanese army and legitimate security forces should bear arms, calling for the country to be entirely free of weapons held by non-state actors.

MP Ghada Ayoub, of the Lebanese Forces-led "Strong Republic" bloc, echoed that view, insisting the state must assert full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory and outlaw any form of armed presence outside the official security apparatus.

“There is only one armed group operating outside the state, and that is Hezbollah,” Ayoub told Asharq al-Awsat. “It must become a purely political party and clearly, unequivocally declare an end to its military activity.”

Ayoub also criticized recent remarks by Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, who vowed the group’s “resistance” would continue “without asking anyone’s permission.”

“The Lebanese state is responsible for enforcing a monopoly on the use of arms,” she said. “It must stop playing the role of a mediator or hiding behind the fear of war and internal strife. Time is not on Lebanon’s side.”

Ahmad Al-Kheir, a lawmaker with the “National Moderation” bloc, dismissed the proposal as “stillborn,” warning that light weapons have already been used to intimidate citizens and skew political dynamics.

“We saw yesterday how light arms were paraded through Beirut’s streets in a blatant attempt at provocation and coercion,” he said. “This is the real danger - using these weapons as leverage in political life, as we saw in the May 7 events and the occupation of downtown Beirut.”

“No one in Lebanon will accept this,” Al-Kheir added.

Additionally, critics warn that allowing any non-state entity to retain weapons threatens state authority and risks further destabilizing the country.

Al-Kheir urged Hezbollah and any other party in possession of light weapons to hand them over to the state, citing the recent example set by former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt.

“Jumblatt announced that his party had surrendered its weapons weeks ago. This is the model to follow,” he told Asharq al-Awsat.

MP Waddah Al-Sadek, of the Change Coalition, said he had no objection to a phased disarmament process that begins with heavy and medium weapons, followed by light arms. He dismissed fears of civil war, saying only one side is armed.

“Armed conflict requires two sides. The army will not engage in internal fighting,” he said. “This talk of civil war is just fear-mongering unless Hezbollah resorts again to something like the May 7 scenario to avoid disarming.”

Al-Sadek stressed that Lebanon’s response to the US proposal - reportedly outlining phased disarmament - will be critical. “Does anyone really have an alternative to engaging with this proposal?” he asked.

Deputy head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Naji Hayek, said all weapons must be handed over, rejecting the idea that civilians or political groups should be allowed to keep light arms for self-defense.

“This theory no longer holds,” Hayek told Asharq al-Awsat, adding that training camps used to militarize society should be shut down. “Light and medium weapons are not only with Hezbollah - they exist with other parties that have military structures, and these too must be dismantled.”

Political analyst Qassem Qassir, who is close to Hezbollah’s thinking, said there is no internal consensus, nor any agreement with Hezbollah, to give up its heavy and medium arms while retaining light weapons.

“The party insists the issue is still the Israeli occupation and ongoing aggression,” he said. “For Hezbollah, no discussion on disarmament is possible until those threats end.”

Qassir warned that if a political solution to the weapons issue is not reached, “we will inevitably face military risks and internal conflict.”

Jumblatt announced in late June that his party had handed over its remaining weapons, including light and medium arms that were gradually accumulated after the May 7 clashes in 2008 during a period of heightened tension with Hezbollah.

He said the weapons had been centrally stored and fully turned over to the Lebanese state.