Employees of the Health Directorate in al-Hasakah governorate (northeastern Syria) have not received their salaries since March, a three-month delay with no explanation given for the late payment.
One employee, who asked that his name be withheld, expressed surprise at the delay, saying it was the first time this had happened.
He pointed to the financial burdens weighing on around 1,700 employees at the directorate, especially with Eid al-Adha approaching.
Responsibility Shifts Between Ministries
Al-Hasakah Health Director Khaled al-Khaled told Enab Baladi that the disbursement orders for the March, April, and May salaries are ready and were submitted around a month ago, but have not yet been paid, pending the Ministry of Finance’s signature on the payment decision.
The finance minister had earlier posted on his official page that the ministry is the body responsible for executing salary payments according to the schedules of public entities, and that delays are often due to some bodies being late in submitting the schedules.
When asked about the delayed salaries of the al-Hasakah Health Directorate, the Ministry of Finance’s media office told Enab Baladi that the ministry is an executive body, and that once lists of disbursement orders arrive from any ministry, salaries are paid immediately and without delay, noting that “the matter is internal with the Ministry of Health.”
Solution Awaiting Finance Ministry Signature
The al-Hasakah Health Director said the finance minister had previously issued a circular placing the budgets of local administrations in al-Hasakah governorate under the authority of central ministries.
Al-Khaled explained that payment could be made through the Ministry of Health, but the circular cannot be implemented without a decision from the finance minister specifying that the al-Hasakah Health budget be placed at the disposal of the Ministry of Health.
He added that the letter on this matter is in the finance minister’s office awaiting signature, according to promises.
Al-Khaled continued, “As soon as Minister Barnieh signs the decision, the directorate’s disbursement orders will become directly linked to the Minister of Health, which will ease bureaucratic procedures.”
Complaint Without Response
The Ministry of Finance’s media office pointed to a dedicated complaints number on the ministry’s page, calling on any employee whose salary is delayed to submit a complaint so it can be handled “with high transparency and according to procedures,” as it put it.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent contacted the announced number for more than 24 hours and sent a detailed message about this specific problem via WhatsApp, but received no response by the time this report was prepared.
Finance Cites Delayed Schedules
Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh had posted a dedicated number for citizens’ complaints, +963990150150, on his official page on January 26, allowing them to send complaints via WhatsApp.
On March 31, he clarified that most messages received on the number concerned delays in paying state employees’ salaries.
Barnieh explained the reasons for delayed payment of state employees’ salaries, saying public discontent and complaints over the issue were “justified.”
Barnieh said in a Facebook post that the Ministry of Finance is the body responsible for executing payments, as it pays salaries according to the schedules received from public bodies and agencies.
The finance minister noted that there is often a delay by some bodies in submitting schedules with the names of workers.
Regulating Salary Increases
Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh issued the executive instructions for Decree No. 68 of 2026, which regulates salaries, compensation, and increases for state employees in the ministries of Higher Education, Health, and Education.
According to the instructions published by the Syrian Ministry of Finance on Facebook on May 21, the increase under the decree includes the salary and wage system for employees according to the job titles listed in the regulations attached to these instructions, in the following entities:
All entities affiliated with or linked to the above are included, and these entities are considered the approved administrative and functional framework for applying all increases and compensation stipulated in the decree.
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