Subsidies

The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection plans to add new commodities, including earthquake-related aid, to Syria’s electronic smart card. 

Syria’s wheat and barley crops are likely to decline this year for the third successive year due to small planted areas, climatic factors, and shortages in oil products and fertilisers, which have become chronic issues for Syria’s agriculture sector.

Details published in the Official Gazette have provided more information about Syria’s 2023 budget, including indications on allocations to the Ministry of Defence.

Syria’s unprecedented fuel crisis, which was triggered by the suspension of Iranian oil supplies, has entered its third week, causing significant price surges and leading the government to implement several emergency measures, including shutting down state institutions until the beginning of the year.

The government is planning to significantly decrease allocations for flour and wheat subsidies next year, according to Syria's 2023 draft budget.

Wheat and barley production has declined significantly across all of Syria for the second year in a row due to climate change, low water levels in the Euphrates River, and production input shortages, according to official data. This season's wheat production is 75 percent lower than pre-crisis volumes.