The General Establishment of Housing of the Syrian regime’s government has announced a tender for implementing the first two towers of the alternative housing project for the original residents of the “Marota City” project’s area. 

On 22 October, the “Building Syria” website specialized in the news of the reconstruction of infrastructure and services in Syria said that the estimated cost of the tender for the implementation of structural work and cladding for the two towers is 20 billion Syrian pounds (SYP = 8,247,422 USD).

According to the General Establishment of Housing, the final tender bond is 10 percent of the esteemed sheet value, while the suspension value is 5 percent, which indicated that there would be a penalty of one thousand of the referral allowances imposed for each defaulting day.

The General Establishment of Housing set 2 November as a date for the open-bidding procedures.

The website quoted a well-informed source in the establishment as saying that accepting bidding proposals requires several conditions.

Some of these conditions include paying the initial tender bonds estimated at 100 million SYP (41,067 USD), about five percent of the estimated sheet value, and the contractor being classified in the excellent category according to a document registered in 2020.

Previously, the establishment opened the door of registration for those entitled to alternative housing in the areas of the “Marota City” and the “Basilia City” projects, which reached 5,516 accommodation units.

In a statement published on 28 September, the establishment said that “registration for alternative housing for eligible property owner has started,” adding that it listed the names of entitled people in tables certified by Damascus governorate, where names are listed according to their specified dwelling category and space.

The establishment also announced that the application period would last between 18 December and 14 January of 2021.

The establishment published a table in which it clarified due categories and spaces, the initial cash payments to be paid and the date of payment, monthly installments, and the specific branch of Syria’s Real Estate Bank for payment.

The establishment also clarified the completion date for the “Marota City” project and warned those who defaulted on the first installment of alternative housing.

The implementation period of “Marota City” towers

In an interview with the local radio station, “Melody FM,” the Director of Social Housing at the Syrian General Establishment of Housing, Mawya Rangous, said on 12 October that “the implementation duration of each tower of the project will take between three to five years starting from the date of receiving the tower plot.”

Rangous pointed out that the Damascus governorate pledged to hand-over all the alternative accommodation plots within one year.

She added that if the cost of construction rises, alternative housing recipients’ monthly payments might increase.

Rangous indicated that there are monthly payments and large payments when allocating accommodation, and another payment upon concluding the property hand-over contract.

She also revealed a deadline until 14 January 2021 for those defaulted on the alternative housing’s first payment.

Rangous pointed out that the defaulted people will have their subscriptions delayed, indicating that the priority is currently given to those who pay their installments.

The “Marota City” project started in 2012, after the Syrian regime’s president, Bashar al-Assad, issued the Legislative Decree No. 66, which provided for the establishment of a regulatory area in the Khalaf al-Razi area in Damascus.

Eight years after the project began, the residents did not receive their alternative housing, because of the lack of funds available in the governorate, according to the director of the governorate’s technical studies, Mu’ammar Dakak, who said that the alternative accommodation cost is estimated at 285 billion Syrian pounds (SYP) (about 124 million USD).