The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the Syrian government’s decision on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to rescind Circular No. 15\/7\/B, issued on July 17, 2023, which restricted procedures for amending building regulations and organizational specifications for public benefit projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This decision, coming more than a year after the fall of the despotic regime that imposed these restrictions, represents a practical step towards strengthening administrative decentralization and empowering local units to fulfill their developmental role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Syrian Future Movement appreciates this step, it notes that it comes within the context of a broader transformation that began with the decision to delegate authority to governors (Ministry of Local Administration, 2026) and is now culminating in the liberalization of a vital sector directly linked to citizens’ lives and attracting investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on the Syrian Future Movement’s methodology of “supporting national solutions without absolute support for any party, and criticizing what threatens the state-building process without hostility,” this statement is issued to assess this step, while emphasizing that its success remains contingent on the ability of administrative units to assume their new responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the Syrian Future Movement highly values \u200b\u200bthe decision to rescind the restrictive directive that usurped the powers of administrative units and froze their vital projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It also recalls that this directive was issued in July 2023, at the height of the former regime’s rule, and was a manifestation of the extreme centralization that gave Damascus a stranglehold on development decisions in all governorates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this context, the Syrian Future Movement also recalls its analysis issued on February 16, 2026, entitled “An Analysis of the Decision to Empower Governors and a Step Towards Strengthening Administrative Decentralization in the Syrian Transitional Phase,” in which it called for the activation of service decentralization and the reduction of central bureaucracy, considering empowering governors to be “the key to balanced development and accelerating the pace of reconstruction.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, the Syrian Future Movement points to the details of the decision and its practical implications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its consistent positions supporting decentralization and empowering local administrations, which have been published on its official website, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, the Syrian Future Movement expresses cautious optimism and offers a set of recommendations to ensure this decision is translated into tangible reality. While we appreciate this positive step, the Syrian Future Movement reminds us that “freeing decision-making” does not necessarily mean “freeing capabilities.” We believe that delegating authority must be accompanied by “an effective oversight and accountability system that ensures it is not exploited or directed towards private interests.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on this responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its welcome of this step, which is the fruit of a long struggle against excessive centralization that has burdened institutions and impoverished communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe the government is called upon to complete this process by amending fundamental laws (such as the Local Administration Law) to permanently enshrine decentralization, rather than through temporary, revocable executive decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe the true success of this decision will be measured by its ability to transform city and governorate councils into centers capable of decision-making and accountability, and to rebuild the new Syria from the ground up, not the other way around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lifting restrictions on regulatory systems is an important step towards promoting local development and attracting investment in Syria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":64696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4661],"tags":[4706],"class_list":["post-64698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economic-office-en","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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