Syria seeks to double civil servant salaries, integrate armed factions into Ministry of Defence

People gather the mosque and its surroundings with “Syrian revolution flag” and chant slogans calling for the country’s freedom and a “new Syria” after performing the first Friday prayer at the Umayyad Mosque following the collapse of the 61-year-long Baath regime in Syria and the end of the Assad family’s rule in Damascus, Syria, on December 13, 2024. [Emin Sansar – Anadolu Agency]

The new Syrian government is preparing to implement a plan to increase public sector salaries by 400 per cent, according to military operations commander, Al-Sharaa.

Speaking during a press briefing, Al-Sharaa announced that the caretaker government is actively reviewing the proposal. He reassured employees that “There is no concern about public sector employees’ salaries, which will be paid on time.”

This announcement follows remarks by Mohammed Al-Bashir, the interim prime minister, who revealed that the central bank has limited foreign currency liquidity.

Addressing the topic of mandatory conscription, Al-Sharaa said: “We are still studying the mandatory military service, which has burdened Syrians for decades. Initially, service will be voluntary. We are not compelled to impose the burden of mandatory conscription on Syrians.”

He also announced that all armed factions would be disbanded and replaced by a single military body under the Ministry of Defence.

Al-Sharaa highlighted a recent weapons collection campaign, reporting that 50,000 weapons were confiscated over a 24-hour period.

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