Ministerial circular regarding functional kinship

The Syrian Future Movement is closely following the circular issued by Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barnieh on Monday, August 3, 2026, which mandates that all directors working in the Ministry and its affiliated or related institutions and bodies disclose any familial relationships they have with employees up to the fourth degree of kinship.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the circular aims to strengthen integrity, enhance transparency, and implement the provisions of Prime Ministerial Decree No. 5/M.W. of 2022, which regulates the disclosure of interests while holding public office.

The circular directs the Ministry’s Administrative Development Directorate to monitor the implementation of the decree’s provisions, requesting all directors to report any familial relationships they have with employees up to the fourth degree of kinship within two weeks of its issuance. It warns that failure to disclose such relationships will subject the violator to accountability and immediate contract termination.

The Syrian Future Movement notes that this circular carries three main implications:

First, it represents an official acknowledgment of the extent of nepotism and cronyism that has plagued state institutions for decades, transforming public office into a “family fiefdom” and a system of patronage in many cases, while competence and merit became mere words on paper.

Administrative and financial corruption was one of the most dangerous diseases that afflicted state institutions for decades and was one of the main drivers of the Syrian revolution.

We see this circular as the beginning of dismantling this system and opening the door to a public administration based on competence and integrity.

Second, it indicates that the Ministry of Finance, which under the ousted regime was an instrument for plundering public funds and managing corruption, is now transforming into a supervisory body that confronts these practices, a move we support.

The Ministry has already launched an anti-corruption campaign, referred cases to the judiciary, and taken action against corruption in banks and public institutions. This circular is part of a series of interconnected measures that confirm the Ministry is moving in a gradual reformist direction.

Third: This demonstrates a governmental trend toward activating existing laws instead of merely issuing new ones that remain ineffective.

Decision No. 5/M.W. was issued in 2022, but its implementation has remained limited.

The Syrian Future Movement sees the activation of this file as an indication that the era of “dormant laws” is coming to an end, and that there is a will to activate existing legislation as a first step toward comprehensive reform.

Fourth: (Additional Significance) This reinforces the principle of transparency and accountability in the public sector, establishes a culture of disclosure as an institutional value, and prevents the exploitation of public office for familial or personal gain, representing a shift in the prevailing administrative culture.

In this context, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its consistent positions, published on its official website, which emphasize the priority of combating corruption and nepotism as a fundamental condition for building the new state:

• Statement on the Ministry of Finance’s Anti-Corruption Campaign and the Referral of Cases to the Judiciary (May 24, 2026): Commended the Ministry’s anti-corruption campaign and stressed the need for the measures to be transformed into transparent and sustainable policies.
• Statement on the Signing of the Syrian-Saudi Memorandum of Understanding on Combating Corruption (June 1, 2026): Welcomed cooperation with Saudi Arabia in this field and affirmed that “transparency and combating corruption are the cornerstones of any successful international partnership.”
• Statement on the Importance of Public Oversight in Protecting the National Transition Process (July 11, 2025): Called for the establishment of a national appointment policy based on competence and integrity, free from nepotism and partisan loyalties.
• A study titled “Corruption and Nepotism in Syria” (dated November 10, 2024) indicated that combating corruption and recovering looted assets is a top priority, no less important than rebuilding bridges and homes.

However, the Syrian Future Movement believes that the circular, despite its importance, faces major challenges that require fundamental solutions:

• Limited Scope: The circular is limited to the Ministry of Finance and its affiliated institutions, while the phenomenon of nepotism is widespread in all state institutions. This necessitates a comprehensive circular that includes all ministries and public bodies.
• The Gap Between Text and Implementation: A ministerial decree remains merely ink on paper unless it is accompanied by rigorous oversight and monitoring mechanisms that ensure compliance and punish violators. It should be noted that the greatest risk facing any such measure is that it will remain “shelved.”
• Lack of Protection for Whistleblowers: Disclosing cases of nepotism may expose whistleblowers to retaliation or marginalization. This necessitates providing legal protection mechanisms for diligent employees.
• Weak Disclosure Culture: Many employees consider disclosing family ties an invasion of privacy or an embarrassment to colleagues, necessitating awareness campaigns to change this perception.
• Lack of Deterrent Penalties: The circular warned of accountability and contract termination, but it did not specify clear, escalating penalties, which may render the threat ineffective in the eyes of some.

Based on its national responsibility to monitor the progress of state-building and the strengthening of its institutions, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:

1. Extend the experience to all ministries and public institutions: Disclosure of family ties should become a routine procedure across all sectors of the government, not limited to the Ministry of Finance.
2. Link Disclosure to Centralized Databases: To prevent circumvention of the system, a national registry of disclosures should be established, accessible at any time to verify the accuracy of the information.
3. Activate Oversight and Follow-up Mechanisms: Establish monitoring committees in each ministry, responsible for verifying disclosures and taking action against violators, similar to the decision stipulating the formation of such a committee in each ministry.
4. Launching sustained awareness campaigns: to educate employees about the importance of disclosure, explaining that transparency is not a violation of privacy, but rather a protection of public funds and a means of strengthening trust between citizens and the state.
5. Providing whistleblower protection mechanisms: to ensure that no employee is subjected to retaliation or marginalization for disclosing cases of nepotism or misconduct.
6. Identification Gradual and clear penalties: These should be proportionate to the severity of the violation and serve as a deterrent to anyone tempted to circumvent the system.

The Syrian Future Movement appreciates this step, which enhances integrity and transparency in public institutions. It sees this as a positive indicator that the state is moving towards dismantling the system of favoritism that has been rampant for decades.

We also reiterate that combating corruption and favoritism is an existential battle for the new Syria. Institutions built on favoritism cannot form the foundation for a strong and just state.

The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that the true success of this directive is not measured by the number of disclosures, but rather by its ability to achieve genuine change in the culture of institutional work and to establish the principle that public service is a service to the nation, not a family possession.

The new Syria we aspire to is a Syria of institutions, where competence and integrity are the sole criteria for evaluation, and where citizens’ rights to access fair public services are protected, free from favoritism and cronyism.

For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will remain supportive of everything that promotes integrity, transparency and combating corruption, critical of everything that hinders the achievement of justice and equality, monitoring everything that is accomplished on the ground, striving for a new Syria in which the rule of law prevails, and in which state institutions are managed with efficiency and integrity.