Damascus-SANA
The People's Assembly, in its session held today, chaired by Speaker Hamouda Sabbagh, continued discussing the report of the Parliament's Budget and Accounts Committee, on the draft state budget law for the fiscal year 2023 and the recommendations attached to it by the committee.
In their interventions on the report, a number of members of the Council stressed the importance of working to secure basic services for citizens, improve the standard of living, control prices, increase agricultural and industrial production, increase support for production requirements, achieve optimal investment of state assets and property, review the technical and financial conditions for tenders, and proceed with the digital transformation project. This leads to simplifying the services provided to citizens, completing the electronic character project, and raising the ceiling for daily withdrawals from banks and the cash amounts allowed to be transferred between governorates.
The members called for the introduction of new areas of land for agricultural investment, combating waste, corruption and tax evasion, and securing buildings for some government institutions, to dispense with their rent bill, noting the importance of working to end the file of financial entanglements between public agencies and the need to support vocational education and secure new job opportunities. And addressing the issue of customs data for imported raw materials since before 2019 by allowing them to be settled, which contributes to increasing production, wondering about the reason for the increase in the size of the subsidy allocated in the budget for the General Sports Federation.
In his response, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kinan Yaghi, confirmed that the inclusion of economic indicators and figures in the Ministry's financial statement on the draft budget came based on the recommendation of the Budget and Accounts Committee in its report last year, stressing that the government continues to provide full support for rationed flour and bread.
Minister Yaghi pointed out the importance of reconsidering the investment allowances for the many properties and financial assets belonging to the General Sports Federation, with the aim of increasing the volume of its revenues so that in the future it will be funded from its own revenues, indicating that the current subsidy for the federation is necessary to finance its salaries, wages, work requirements and rehabilitation of its facilities damaged by terrorism.
Yaghi explained that the ministry considers it necessary to cancel some types of taxes that cost more to collect than their actual value, such as the “earthen” real estate revenue tax, especially after the approval of the real estate sales tax, indicating that there is a tendency to fold some types of taxes of small value (less than a thousand pounds). Syria), while amendments to Law No. 26 of 2015 regarding the settlement of bad debts were prepared, and they were sent to the Central Agency for Financial Supervision, which expressed its observations on it pending the submission of the observations of the Central Bank of Syria regarding it.
The Minister of Finance indicated the need for the General Organization for Social Insurance to intensify the collection of insurance premiums owed by the private sector, as well as similar debts on the municipal sector, indicating that work is underway to amend the schedule of needs at the Agricultural Bank, which will reflect positively on loans granted to farmers.
Minister Yaghi indicated that there is a proposal to establish a general authority to manage state property, so that the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform manages land investment, and the Ministry of Finance manages the investment of assets such as machinery and buildings to achieve additional revenues for the treasury, pointing out that there is a study by the Ministry of Industry to benefit from the existing labor force. Troubled and losing public sector companies.
Minister Yaghi pointed out that the customs administrative reforms that took place last year will be strengthened through the draft General Customs Law, which presents a new vision for the Customs Directorate with a board of directors and specific powers, indicating that the General Customs is not responsible for old or lost customs data and documents, and its responsibility is limited to the owner of the goods.
He explained that there is an administrative decision by the Ministry that prevents general customs patrols from entering cities, with the exception of warehouses and cellars of houses that are investigated according to an order signed by the Director General of Customs, and in the presence of a member of the union or the chamber to which the economic establishment belongs, stressing the need to continue combating smuggling. .
Minister Yaghi mentioned that there is a study currently underway to raise the ceiling of loans granted to small and medium enterprises to 100 million with an insurance guarantee from the Syrian General Insurance Corporation, i.e. without guarantors, indicating that the contract and program for electronic stamps have been completed and some of their equipment will be supplied, as this service will begin to be provided in some joints such as Justice at the beginning of next year.
At the end of the session, the Speaker indicated that after discussing the committee's report on the draft budget law 2023 over a period of two days, and after the replies and clarifications of the Minister of Finance and the head of the committee on all proposals, a vote will take place tomorrow on what came in the report and approving the aforementioned draft budget law.
The member of the council for the electoral district of As-Suwayda governorate, Khaled Kerbaj, referred at the beginning of the session to the events that took place in the governorate yesterday at the hands of a group of outlaws, stressing that the people of As-Suwayda categorically reject these sabotage acts, and they extend their deepest condolences to the Ministry of Interior and the families of the martyr, Mahmoud. Al-Salmawi, who rose while performing his patriotic duty.
Kerbaj stressed that the province of As-Suwayda continues to follow the national approach of all the Syrian people, out of its belief in principles and constants, reiterating the emphasis on standing together alongside the Syrian Arab Army.
The session, which was attended by the Minister of State for People's Assembly Affairs, Abdullah Abdullah, was adjourned to 12:00 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday.
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