Damascus-Sana
Today, the People's Assembly, at its twenty-fourth session of the first ordinary session of the third legislative session, headed by Hammouda Sabbagh, Speaker of the Assembly, continued to discuss the report of the Budget and Accounts Committee on the government's financial statement and the draft state budget bill for the fiscal year 2021.
In their interventions, a number of members of the Council stressed the need to support the service, productive and industrial sectors, relying on traditional industries, not privatizing any public sector utility under the name of participation, and applying real investment in the agricultural sector, in both its plant and animal parts, and protecting the national product and stabilizing prices.
Some members called for replacing the support provided to citizens with sums of money provided to them via the electronic card in order to ensure that they obtain this support, prevent any inflation and enhance competition, stressing the importance of preparing an advanced tax law.
In his response to the members' interventions and questions, Minister of Finance Dr. Kinan Yaghi confirmed that the ministry is in the final stage of preparing a new customs bill, as for the draft real estate sales law, which will soon be submitted to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and the most important thing is to move away from the human element in assessing the tax.
The Minister of Finance indicated that a memorandum has been prepared and submitted through the Syrian General Insurance Organization to the Council of Ministers to raise the values and rates of health insurance for workers in the country due to the high prices of medical services in hospitals, laboratories and doctors, and work is being done to expand the network of medical service providers indicating that the government is working to direct any surplus In revenue to improve living conditions and that work continues to achieve fairness in distributing subsidies to those who deserve it.
For his part, the President of the Council announced that tomorrow's session will be devoted to voting on the chapters and articles of the draft state budget law for the fiscal year 2021.
The session, which was attended by the Ministers of Oil and Mineral Resources, Eng. Bassam Tohme and Water Resources, Dr. Tamam Raad, and the State for People's Assembly Affairs, Maloul Al-Hussein, were suspended until 12 noon tomorrow, Tuesday.