The Syrian transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has issued a one-time financial grant for state employees in celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
According to Decision No. 6, issued today, Saturday, March 15, the grant applies to both civilian and military state employees and is equivalent to one month’s salary. Retired personnel—both civilian and military—will receive a grant equal to one month’s total pension. Additionally, the grant covers permanent, temporary, and daily wage workers.
The financial aid is exempt from taxes and deductions, and the Minister of Finance has been tasked with implementing the decision, which takes effect immediately.
This grant marks the first of its kind since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, and Sharaa’s subsequent assumption of the presidency during the transitional period.
On January 5, the Damascus interim government announced a 400 percent salary increase for public sector employees, according to Minister of Finance Mohammad Abazeed. The cost of this increase is estimated at 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds (approximately $127 million), to be funded through existing state resources, regional aid, new investments, and efforts to release frozen Syrian assets abroad.
Syria currently has over 1.25 million public sector employees, according to sources at the Ministry of Finance. Before the decision, the minimum wage stood at 278,910 Syrian pounds. Following the recent salary adjustment, the lowest government wage now exceeds 1.2 million Syrian pounds.
According to UN estimates, over 90 percent of Syrian households live below the poverty line. Additionally, more than 13 million people—over half the population—lack access to sufficient food due to financial constraints. A further 16.5 million Syrians require humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs.
As of early 2025, the average cost of living for a Syrian family of five has surpassed 14.5 million Syrian pounds, while the minimum cost of living stands at approximately 9.1 million Syrian pounds, as reported by the Qasioun Cost of Living Index. This stark disparity highlights the ongoing economic hardship faced by Syrians amid the persistent rise in living expenses.
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.
