Based on the Syrian Future Movement’s responsibility towards the rights and living standards of Syrian citizens, and reaffirming its unwavering vision of building a state of institutions that protects the individual and safeguards society, we are following with great concern the current confusion surrounding the disbursement of salaries and pensions.
This statement reaffirms the principle previously adopted by the Movement in its earlier statements, as it is an integral part of its steadfast vision for building a state of institutions.
In its statement issued on March 11, 2026, entitled “Presidential Decree No. 66 of 2025,” the Syrian Future Movement emphasized that success in any transitional phase depends on transparency and objective coordination. This same principle applies today to the management of public funds and citizens’ financial rights.
The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest and concern the confusion surrounding the disbursement of salaries and pensions, particularly in light of:
- The statement issued by Finance Minister Muhammad Yasser Barnieh on March 31, 2026, published on the ministry’s official page (without specifying the statement number), in which he acknowledged that employees’ complaints about delayed salaries were “justified.” He attributed the delay primarily to the late submission of payroll lists by some entities, along with other technical and banking challenges.
- The speech delivered by President Ahmad al-Sharaa on March 20, 2026, at the People’s Palace in Damascus, in which he announced the 2026 budget of $10.5 billion (assuming an official exchange rate of 15,000 Syrian pounds to the dollar, according to the Central Bank of Syria’s bulletin dated April 1, 2026). It should be noted that the budget has not yet been submitted to the People’s Assembly for final approval.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its assessment on the following data, using the most recent available information:
- Total public sector employees (civilian and military): Approximately 1.3 million, according to estimates from the Economic Research Department – Prime Minister’s Office (November 2025). This estimate does not include temporary or seasonal workers.
- Number of civilian and military retirees currently receiving pensions: 487,000, according to an unpublished periodic report from the General Organization for Social Insurance, reviewed by the Movement on February 15, 2026. This figure excludes retirees whose pensions were suspended for administrative reasons.
- Percentage of delayed salary payments for March 2026 (up to April 2): 43% of employees had not received their salaries, according to field monitoring conducted by our office in five governorates.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that monthly salaries are the direct guarantee of stability for 1.3 million families who depend wholly or partially on public sector wages. The Syrian Future Movement affirms that any delay exceeding five working days beyond the announced date (the 25th of each month) constitutes a serious breach of the social contract, and no technical or administrative justifications can be used to infringe upon citizens’ rights.
The Syrian Future Movement considers the official apology a preliminary moral step, but it does not absolve the relevant authorities of responsibility for the failure to manage liquidity and digital systems.
Instead of the contradiction between criticizing and advocating for electronic platforms, we propose the following:
- In the short term (less than two months): Revert to the cash payment system through branches of the Real Estate Bank in major cities, with a daily schedule announced for each governorate, as a temporary alternative until the digital platform stabilizes.
- In the medium term (until the end of 2026): Develop a unified electronic payment system, provided that it operates on a local server independent of the public internet network and undergoes a stress test before launch.
Instead of calling for an unfeasible “reserve fund” given the budget deficit, the Syrian Future Movement proposes the following alternatives:
- Realizing 5% of customs tax revenues on non-essential imports (such as tobacco and soft drinks) to fund a dedicated salary account, with this percentage to be stipulated in the 2026 budget by legislative decree.
- Activating Article 52 of the Social Security Law (No. 92 of 1959, as amended), which allows for direct deductions from the accounts of public entities that are delinquent in paying their contributions, without requiring the approval of the Ministry of Finance.
- Issuing treasury bonds with a three-month maturity and a nominal interest rate (2%), offered exclusively to private banks to finance the monthly salary liquidity gap, with repayment taking priority over any other obligations.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the following regarding those whose salaries were suspended “for previous administrative reasons” (estimated by the Syrian Future Movement at 22,000 civil servants as of December 31, 2025):
- The formation of an independent judicial committee, headed by a State Council advisor, to review each case within 90 days of the date of this statement.
- The disbursement of an immediate payment equivalent to three months’ salary to anyone who can prove that their salary suspension was without legal basis, to be funded from the emergency budget allocation.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes the necessity of amending the Civil Service Law (Legislative Decree No. 43 of 2024) so that the minimum monthly wage is automatically linked to 60% of the local poverty line (determined by the General Authority for Statistics every six months), with a guarantee of no less than a cumulative annual increase of 15%.
The Syrian Future Movement, while placing this detailed and implementable vision in the hands of the government and the upcoming People’s Assembly, affirms that the stability of salaries is not a matter of generosity or aid, but a legal and economic right whose periodicity must be maintained through independent and transparent institutions, in order to achieve its national vision of building a state of institutions that protects the individual and preserves society.
