Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh presented the main items of the state’s 2026 general budget on Thursday, April 9, under the title “Citizens’ Version of the 2026 Budget,” pledging greater transparency and broader public understanding of its provisions.
At a press conference attended by Enab Baladi, Barnieh said the new document aims to explain the 2026 budget in simplified language, including definitions of terms and figures, a breakdown of spending and revenues, and their direct impact on citizens’ lives, alongside the opportunities available to benefit from them.
He said, “This is the first time in Syria’s history that the budget has been presented in this explanatory form.”
2026 Budget to Be Submitted to Parliament
The 2026 draft budget is scheduled to be presented to the People’s Assembly for discussion before approval, according to the finance minister, amid government emphasis on securing broad public acceptance. Supplementary budgets may also be issued if figures or policy directions need to be amended during the year, or if the general budget itself requires revision.
He also said preparation of the 2027 budget has already begun and is expected to be completed during September and October, to allow enough time for parliamentary discussion before adoption.
What Is the Citizen’s Budget Document?
Before journalists attended the press conference, the finance minister presented a document titled “Citizens’ Budget,” which explains the economic assumptions on which the 2026 budget was based. It also outlines government programs, projects, and initiatives, with pages dedicated to each ministry setting out its plans and activities for the year.
Barnieh said the document would serve as an important reference for citizens, businesspeople, and others interested in obtaining accurate information about fiscal and economic policies.
He expressed optimism about the economy’s performance since the start of 2026, predicting economic growth and improving general indicators, supported by several factors, most notably “the return of the Syrian Jazira region, the resumption of oil and gas production, and improved security and political stability.”
The Syrian finance minister also pointed to the increasing return of Syrians from abroad, including “investors and technical expertise,” which he said could help stimulate the economy and improve services.
In the energy sector, he said, there has been a noticeable improvement in energy availability, along with expectations of increased investment, as well as signs of foreign investment inflows and agreements under implementation.
$1.8 Billion Deficit, to Be Financed by Bonds
According to the figures presented by Barnieh, 2026 revenues are estimated at 959 billion Syrian pounds, around $8.7 billion, against expenditures of 1,056.7 billion pounds, around $10.5 billion, leaving a deficit of about $1.8 billion, equivalent to 5% of gross domestic product.
Barnieh said the deficit would be financed mainly through the issuance of bonds and sukuk, with some returns also coming through the sovereign fund.
He added that the sovereign fund’s money is part of the state treasury’s funds.
Taxes and fees account for around 50% of revenues, while oil and gas make up 28%, and another 22% comes from various other sources.
According to Barnieh:
Spending Priorities in the 2026 Budget
Expenditures in the budget are distributed across several sectors, most notably:
Investment spending also rose to 27%, compared with 7% the previous year, in a sign of the government’s push to strengthen development projects.
Barnieh: Salaries Rose by 350% to 2,000%
In 2027, increases in wages and salaries will be linked to the cost of living, Barnieh said, adding that the government has placed improving living standards at the top of its priorities.
The current increases of 50% or 200% will come to an end, and future raises will be applied according to:
Barnieh said, “We will increase salaries for everyone by the equivalent of the cost-of-living rate, and above that, there will be what is called employee evaluation,” explaining that there will be two salary increases each year for employees:
The finance minister said the lowest salary in Syria has risen by 350% in Syrian pounds and 460% in dollars, while some salaries have increased by 700%, 800%, 1,500%, and 2,000% or more. He added, “Today, 80% of employees in the public sector now have good salaries, and the ministry is continuing salary reform, the basic services system, and living condition improvements.”
Pillars of the Budget
According to Barnieh, the 2026 budget is based on three main pillars:
He added that the budget also focuses on digital transformation, ending financial entanglements between public institutions, and launching a national anti-poverty strategy.
Barnieh also announced programs to support affected areas, especially the Syrian Jazira region, through infrastructure and basic services projects.
Existing Risks
Despite the positive indicators, the Syrian finance minister warned of possible risks, including:
In response to a question about the role of the media, Barnieh said the Ministry of Finance follows an “open door” approach, issuing periodic reports that clarify expenditures and revenues, and calling for a real partnership with the press, the business sector, and civil society.
He said that “partnership is not slogans but practices,” noting that representatives of the private sector are included in committees and bodies, including the board of the tax authority, and that the board also includes a media representative.
He concluded by saying that the slogan of the 2026 budget is: “Consolidating stability, empowering the private sector to support reconstruction and strengthen sustainable development, as part of efforts to reactivate the economy, create jobs, and achieve inclusive growth.”
Reasons for the Shrinking 2025 Surplus: Paying Overdue Obligations
The Syrian Ministry of Finance published a summary of the state’s 2025 budget performance the day before yesterday.
According to figures published by Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh on his Facebook page, there was a change in the size of the surplus achieved in the 2025 state budget, which he had previously said in a television interview was around ten times higher.
Barnieh said the state budget recorded a slight surplus of about 5 billion new Syrian pounds, equivalent to about 46 million US dollars, the first surplus since 1990. He had previously said that the 2025 state budget had posted a financial surplus exceeding half a billion dollars during the first ten months of the year.
The Syrian minister explained the decline in the surplus by saying that “the surplus had reached around half a billion dollars by the end of the third quarter, as we previously mentioned, but it gradually shrank during the fourth quarter as some areas of public spending increased and overdue obligations were paid,” without specifying the emergency expenditures or those obligations.
Surplus Driven by Fiscal Discipline and Anti-Corruption Measures
Minister Barnieh said the slight surplus in the 2025 budget mainly reflected a commitment to:
According to Barnieh, the achieved surplus represented about 0.15% of gross domestic product, which stood at $30.6 billion in 2025. By contrast, the GDP deficit in 2024 stood at 2.7%.
He explained that total public spending in 2025 reached about 379.2 billion new Syrian pounds, equivalent to about $3.447 billion, adding that this marked an increase of about 45.7% compared with total spending in 2024. Spending on wages and salaries received the largest share, accounting for about 41% of total expenditure.
On January 6, 2025, the presidency of the Council of Ministers in the interim Damascus government announced the adoption of the “duodecimal budget” principle for fiscal year 2025, based on one-twelfth of the appropriations for fiscal year 2024, the budget approved by the Syrian government under the former regime.
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