Head of the Craftsmen's Union: Financing the construction of crafts exchanges will reflect positively on the production process

Damascus-SANA

The head of the General Union of Craftsmen, Naji Al-Hadwa, stressed that including the construction of craft exchanges in the program for financing small and medium enterprises will have significant positive effects on the economy and constitute an important factor in enabling craftsmen to rebuild their craft facilities that were sabotaged by terrorism and to employ more manpower.

In a statement to SANA, Al-Hadawa said that financing the construction of craft exchanges will have an important investment impact, as it will enter the craft areas with the wheel of production and will contribute to enabling craftsmen to support the production process, especially since industrialists and small craftsmen do not have, during the current circumstances, the capital required to build their exchanges.

Al-Hadwa explained that one of the conditions for benefiting from loans for craftsmen is that the craftsman be a subscriber in the craft area, and it is sufficient to submit the administrative deed that proves this to start building the division. Local Administration, Environment and Damascus Countryside Governorate, after it was approved years ago.

Al-Hadwa pointed out that the program for financing small and medium enterprises was a wish for every craftsman in light of their efforts to develop their businesses and provide products that are an alternative to importing and providing foreign exchange, indicating that more than 65 percent of the national production carriers are carried out by medium, small and micro enterprises and craft projects.

Al-Hadwa pointed out that the small and medium-sized enterprises currently supported within the program are (producing requirements and equipment of renewable energy components, dairy factories, cheese and milk derivatives, projects for the manufacture of threads, automated weaving, fabrics and dyestuffs, factories of the manufacture of threads and knitted fabrics, the establishment, operation and restoration of facilities for the automatic textile, knitting, carpets, rugs, electrical and electronic industries, and the manufacture of Lighting devices, construction, operation and restoration of facilities for the manufacture of medical instruments and devices, projects for the wood and aluminum industries, the Formica industries, the poultry and the slaughterhouses).

Al-Hadwa explained that there are about 400 crafts associations registered in the union, while the number of registered craftsmen is about 160,000, and the same number is unregistered.

Al-Hadwa confirmed that the government provided support to craftsmen in their projects, in addition to the support provided to craft and industrial areas in terms of infrastructure and the preparation of craft areas with the aim of settling crafts and professions in all governorates, where the amounts paid exceeded 25 billion Syrian pounds, and there were approximately 126 craft and industrial areas.

Tariq Al-Sayed