The Central Bank of Syria (CBS) announced the resumption of operations for ATMs in Syria and the addition of electronic payment services.

The central bank clarified in a statement issued today, Wednesday, December 18, that the decision comes within the framework of monitoring the operations of Syrian banks, and in accordance with recent economic changes to control liquidity in the market.

It added that the operating banks in Syria received directives to monitor withdrawal operations, including withdrawals via ATMs, during the past two days.

The statement indicated that the current measures taken by the bank are “temporary and will be gradually removed in order to reach a comprehensive banking service that meets the needs of customers.”

The page “Free Damascus City,” affiliated with the Military Operations Administration, confirmed that the Central Bank of Syria has resumed operations for ATMs with the addition of electronic payment services.

According to the S-P Today website, the selling price of the dollar against the Syrian pound in the black market today, Wednesday, is 15,000 Syrian pounds, and the buying price is 14,000 Syrian pounds.

Meanwhile, in the Central Bank of Syria’s bulletin, the average price for one dollar against the Syrian pound was reported at 15,075 Syrian pounds.

The Central Bank, on December 9 of this month, directed a message to Syrians dealing with all operating banks, stating that their deposits and funds placed with those banks are safe and will not be harmed.

It confirmed that the currency used for trading in Syria is the Syrian pound in all its denominations and that no denomination has been withdrawn from circulation.

The Central Bank of Syria emphasized the necessity of delivering remittances to their rightful recipients in Syrian pounds at all currency exchange and internal transfer companies, according to the prevailing regulations governing this matter.

Gold reserves at the Central Bank

Reuters reported two days ago that the Central Bank of Syria still holds 26 tons of gold in its vaults, the same amount the bank had before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, according to the agency citing four sources “informed about the situation.”

The head of the caretaker government in Syria, Mohammed al-Bashir, previously stated that there are no foreign currency reserves in the Central Bank of Syria, but Reuters indicated that the government is still conducting inventory and data collection operations.

On December 11, just one day after al-Bashir officially took over his duties, he stated that there is only the Syrian pound in the central bank’s vaults, “which is worth nothing.”