Yesterday, Monday, February 5, the President of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, issued two legislative decrees (7 and 8), mandating salary increases for civil and military employees and retirees, coupled with a surge in prices.

Based on Article 1 of Decree No. 7, a 50% addition to the fixed salaries and wages in effect as of the date of the decree’s issuance is mandated for civil and military personnel in ministries, administrations, public institutions, public sector companies and establishments, administrative units, grassroots work, expropriated companies and establishments, private schools seized by final appropriation, and all entities of the public sector.

The decree also covers employees of entities in the combined sector where the state holds a contribution of at least 75% of their capital.

The decree applies to monthly salaried workers, daily-wage workers, and temporary workers, whether they be agents, casual, seasonal, contractors, under employment contracts, or those involved with tick-sheet tables or by administrative decrees, as well as part-time workers, or those working on a production or fixed and variable wage basis.

According to the decree, the minimum wage saw roughly a doubling, reaching 278,910 Syrian pounds monthly.

The minimum wage correlates with approximately $19.3, according to the exchange rate specialist website, the S-P Today.

Decree No. 8

Article 1 of Decree No. 8 grants a 50% increase of the retirement pension to retirees, both military and civilian, who are covered by the existing insurance and pension laws and social security.

The decree includes those with retirement pensions and partial disability injury pensions from civilians who are not working and are not receiving another pension from any insurance entity.

Both decrees (7 and 8) will be implemented starting from the beginning of the next month, as per the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Price increases

In turn, the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection raised the price of a bread bundle concurrently with the decrees of increased wages, as well as diesel for bakeries.

The price of the bundle, weighing 1100 grams, soared to 400 Syrian pounds, up from 200 Syrian pounds, in both public and private bakeries.

The ministry justified the increase in prices, due to the cost of securing the bread daily reaching “unprecedented” levels, exceeding 7000 Syrian pounds per bundle.

The hike was connected to global conditions related to rising wheat prices and the necessities of breadmaking, complications in maritime and land trade routes, and local issues related to the war, blockade, and loss of vast swathes of wheat-cultivating land outside the regime’s control, among other reasons.

The price of one liter of diesel for public and private bakeries increased from 700 to 2000 Syrian pounds, according to the ministry.

Moreover, the selling price of one liter of Octane 90 gasoline underwent an adjustment on the evening of Sunday, February 4, reaching 10,500 Syrian pounds, while the price of Octane 95 rose to 13,825 Syrian pounds.

Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection raises price of Octane 90 gasoline – February 5, 2024 (Al-Watan newspaper)

Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection raises price of Octane 90 gasoline – February 5, 2024 (Al-Watan newspaper)