Damascus-Sana
The Agricultural Cooperative Bank announced that it will soon start lending to farmers and producers who have damaged their property or the land they invest in due to the fires in the governorates of Lattakia, Tartous, Homs and Hama, in accordance with the controls and standards set by the Central Bank of Syria, with the aim of reducing the economic and social burden on them, rehabilitating their lands and securing requirements for reforestation.
The General Director of the Agricultural Cooperative Bank Ibrahim Zaidan stated in a statement to SANA that the bank is currently awaiting the issuance of lists of names and data for those affected by the fires, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, to carry out lending operations with zero interest, in implementation of Legislative Decree No. 23 of 2020, pointing out that farmers can obtain loans For a one-year tree service to enable farmers to replant the damaged trees.
The loans according to Zidan will include the affected people, whether those whose loans have been scheduled or others affected by short, medium and long-term loans at a financing rate of 100% for the purpose for which they are required to be loaned with granting them grace periods in proportion to the type of loan and according to the bank operations system and in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the decree, adding that the decree Legislation relating to loans previously granted to those affected by the recent fires allows those loans to be scheduled for a period of 10 years with exemption from all contract interest and delay penalties.
Zidan pointed out that fruit trees need several years to produce, and alternatives must be found by introducing alternative crops that help farmers to obtain production until the fruit trees enter the stage of fruiting and expansion by planting some crops that can be planted under fruit trees and be a suitable source of livelihood for them.
Zaidan indicated that coordination has been made with the Central Bank of Syria to facilitate the process of collecting the sums of money for farmers affected by the fires, as the process of inquiring about the affected farmers will be facilitated and the amounts processed for speedy delivery and the amendment of the need table for the Cooperative Agricultural Bank to touch the current real reality of farmers.