President Bashar al-Assad has issued a new law that doubles taxes and charges for all types of residents, with Damascus governorate issuing new fees that included 19 tax charges. Meanwhile, a member of the “Applause Council” (Parliament), justified the tax increases on the basis that they have become one of the most important budget revenues.
According to Mohamed Zuhair Tinawi, a member of parliament and chairman of the Trade Union and Accounting Board, “the adjustment of the fee values came in the context of adjustments to most fees and taxes due to inflation. This is especially true since fees and taxes have become the most important source of revenue for financing this year’s budget.”
Tinawi said that the tax and fee adjustments came “after most of Syria’s oil and gas wealth was stolen in the country’s eastern regions, while many strategic crops such as wheat and cotton were also lost.”
He added that the shift of duties and taxes to the most important revenue to finance the 2022 budget. He regretted “the decline of Syrian exports due to the general conditions that the country is going through, especially the unjust blockade applied to the country”.
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The regime also imposed a fee of 150,000 Syrian pounds for a regular residency card for three years, while a fee of 75,000 Syrian pounds applies for a temporary residence card for one year or less. When issuing a work permit, a fee of 500,000 Syrian pounds per year or less must be paid by workers who receive their full salary in Syrian pounds.
In addition, a fee of $200 per year applies to workers who are paid in foreign currency. The same fee applies to residency permits that include entry and exit fees for Arabs and foreigners, during the validity of the stay, no matter how many visas they hold.
With regard to private hospitals, the monthly fee was set at 70,000 Syrian pounds for top-level hospitals; the fee for five-star nightclubs was set at 40,000 Syrian pounds; the fee for cafes was set at 15,000 Syrian pounds; the professions of doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, laboratories and real estate offices were set at 5,000 Syrian pounds; wedding halls and gyms were set at 20,000 Syrian pounds; private educational centers and institutes, kindergartens and private schools were set at 15,000 Syrian pounds; and the sale of soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages was set at 8,000 Syrian pounds.
The Assad regime also set the fee for banks, companies, and public institutions with profit-making operations at 5,000 Syrian pounds each. Private companies and joint associations must pay 50,000 Syrian pounds per branch; private banks must pay 100,000 Syrian pounds per branch.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
