Tartus-Sana
Eng. Emad Khallouf, director of local development in Tartous governorate, said that the value of the financial portfolio allocated for a project program is 775 million Syrian pounds distributed over 147 funds, pointing out that the number of beneficiaries in the governorate for the end of 2018 amounted to about 19 thousand beneficiaries and the value of operating advances ranges between 100 and 200 thousand pounds Interest-free recovered within 36 months while the value of educational advances of 50,000 liras also interest-free and recovered within a year.
Khallouf explained in a statement to SANA Economic Bulletin that a project program targets the poor and poorest villages in the remote countryside and aims to empower individuals and create the appropriate environment for the implementation of small and micro projects to raise the economic level of them and improve the social reality and create sustainable development in the target group, pointing out that the idea of the program is based on A financial fund in the community according to its needs commensurate with the projects, the population and the size of the work that can be established in that area.
Khallouf pointed out that the advances include agricultural and service operational projects and the development of crafts and handicrafts that would provide jobs and income for poor families and breadwinners, in addition to financing projects for the families of martyrs, wounded and university students, noting that within the development of the program was the so-called participatory session includes representatives of the Development Office and the Secretariat Syrian and the local committee in the target area and wishing to get those advances to provide insights and proposals on their projects to be evaluated those projects and choose the appropriate projects.
For his part, Shadi Suwaiqat, from the village of Al-Sha'ra in Qadmous, one of the beneficiaries of the project, got a loan two years ago to develop the bees project which he owned and I have 50 hives after the number was not more than 6 hives. Financially for the poor rural people in light of the high cost of labor and agricultural production.
Mayada Ibrahim explained that she got an advance of 200 thousand Syrian pounds at the start of the program to buy a second cow because she has one to increase her income, adding that the projects of animal and vegetable production are successful and support the economy of the individual and society, but the high prices of production requirements hinder the expansion of work was the most appropriate solution.
It is worth mentioning that Mashrouei program was launched in Tartous and a number of governorates in 2011 in partnership between the Syrian Trust for Development and the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment.
Fatima Hussain
SANA Economic Bulletin