The Syrian Ministry of Finance announced on Sunday, 10 May, the executive instructions for Decree No. 67 of 2026, which adds 50% to fixed salaries and wages.
The increase covers employees in ministries, departments, public institutions, public sector companies and facilities, all administrative units, and public sector bodies.
Payment of this increase and special increases will begin with salary disbursement during the last week of May, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Who Is Covered by the Increase?
According to a ministry circular, the increase affecting the salaries and wages of state employees under Decree No. 67, issued on 18 March, is considered an addition to the fixed monthly salary or wage received by those covered by its provisions under Article 1.
A rate of 50% will be added to the fixed monthly salary or wage in effect on 31 December 2025.
The increase includes civilian employees in public entities and in the joint sector, where the state’s contribution is less than 50% of the capital, in addition to temporary, daily, seasonal, and contracted workers.
The instructions confirmed that contractors working under contracting agreements are excluded from the increase, while those contracted under employment contracts benefit according to conditions related to their wage level compared with permanent counterparts who hold the same certificates.
The instructions also stipulated that wage and contract tables be amended in line with the increase as of 1 June, excluding employees subject to Law No. 53 of 2021, as well as categories that had previously received special increases approved for several ministries and bodies.
Minimum Wage at 12,560 Syrian Pounds
Decree No. 67 raised the minimum wage for workers in the public, private, cooperative, and joint sectors who are not subject to the State Employees Law No. 50 of 2004, bringing it to 12,560 new Syrian pounds per month.
It also stipulated that this amount be adopted as the minimum threshold exempt from monthly income tax, under Legislative Decree No. 30 of 2023.
Regarding retirees, the instructions clarified that the increase does not include pensioners whose pensions became due before the decree was issued, while it applies to workers referred to retirement after 1 June 2026, under Law No. 28 of 2014.
The executive instructions for Decree No. 67 confirmed the amendment of minimum and maximum wage limits and starting appointment wages listed in the approved salary tables for state employees, in line with the new increase, through decisions issued by the Minister of Finance.
The amendment also included categories exempt from the Basic Employees Law, while requiring public entities to submit amended draft tables to the Ministry of Finance for formal approval.
By contrast, all compensation granted under laws and regulations in force will remain calculated based on wages in effect before 17 March 2026, without amendment.
Promotion Allowances and Multiple Jobs
The instructions indicated that the salary increase approved under Decree No. 67 includes the promotion allowance due at the beginning of 2026, and does not affect personal allowances granted under laws in force.
They also clarified that workers permitted to combine more than one job benefit from the increase for only one job, while the increase is limited to the fixed monthly salary and does not include allowances or other amounts.
The expense resulting from the implementation of Decree No. 67, issued on 18 March, will be paid as follows:
Decree No. 67 of 2026
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued on 20 March several decrees increasing salaries and wages for state and joint sector employees, along with some tax exemptions.
Al-Sharaa signed Decree No. 67 of 2026, under which 50% is added to fixed salaries and wages in effect on the date the decree was issued for employees in ministries, departments, public institutions, public sector companies and facilities, all administrative units, and public sector bodies.
90% of Syrians Below Poverty Line
UN reports, including a 2025 United Nations program report, indicate that about 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, while one in four suffers from unemployment.
Amid this reality, a growing number of Syrians are turning to what is known as the “shadow economy” by combining more than one job or engaging in unregulated work, making this part of daily life.
In the same context, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat announced at the beginning of the current year that work was underway to prepare a national strategy to combat poverty, but no results or updates have been announced so far.
Dr. Abdullah Qazzaz previously told Enab Baladi that about 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, at $2.15 per day, with extreme poverty rising to between 30% and 40% in cities and remote rural areas, and the middle class declining from 60% before 2011 to 5% in 2023.
A clear disparity also appears in income levels among workers, as new employees or contractors receive salaries much higher than older employees in similar jobs, reflecting additional imbalances in the structure of the labor market.
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