About Syria

Why Syria?

Syria is located at the eastern cost of the Mediterranean, and is linked with world countries by her Mediterranean seaports, and by an overland roads and railway network that links Syria with Europe through Turkey, with Asia through Iraq and Iran, and of course with all parts of the world through the Sues Canal and the Indian Ocean. Syria is also linked to the Arab countries, including the Arabian Gulf countries, by land roads and the Hijaz Railroad, which is being rehabilitated.

Syria extends over an area of 185200 Sq. km, utilized in the following order:
Cultivable lands of up to 5997 Hectares, out of which an area of 5502 Hectares are practically cultivated. 1186 Hectares are irrigated by various irrigation methods. Uncultivable land covers an area of 3710 Hectares, divided to built-in areas, utilities, marshlands, lakes, rock and sand land. The remaining area of 8811 Hectares consists of pastureland and green highlands (8265 Hectares), woodland and forests (546 Hectares).

searching for adequate mechanisms to activate national economy, and achieve integration and harmony among the various economic sectors ( public, private, joint, and cooperative) based on the principle of supply and demand, including production, exchange and marketing of commodities and services, as well as to upgrade the developmental policies aimed to ensure strengthening the competitive aspect of the economy instead of relying on protection and its mechanisms. Attention has also been focused on amendment of laws and regulations aimed to enable the private sector to play a more effective role in the comprehensive developmental process.

Every one wants to enter Syria has to have a valid passport with a visa granted by Syrian embassy or the Consult authorized in his country, and hasn’t to have exit visa in case of no more than 155 day residence in Syria.

Also they can obtain a tourist visa to gain entry to Syria, and they don’t need any exit visa if their stays are not more 155 days.

Stressing on the necessity for introducing economic reforms, including amendment of laws and removing bureaucratic impediments, aimed to allow flow of internal and foreign investments, mobilization of public and private capitals, and invigoration of the private sector through providing it with more favorable opportunities. Within this framework, the government has issued a large number of legislative decrees, and amended past laws and regulations to serve the purpose of activating the work of the private sector and attracting foreign investments geared up to further develop the economic and social development. During his visit to the State of Kuwait and his meeting with businessmen, the President pledged to personally intervene for solving any problems faced by businessmen, who plan to invest in Syria.

The enlightened vision of H.E. the President coupled with the efforts of the political leadership to achieve economic and administrative reform, as well as the devoted action undertaken by the present government to push the country’s economy on the basis of open investment policies, have offered a viable political atmosphere towards allowing the investors to utilize the available resources for the mutual benefit of both the investors and the government in accordance with the provisions of the law.

In a wide world with no obstacles, Syria opens her arms for all visitors at all times, there is no weak passes without intellectual conferences and symposiums or Industrial or Commercial exhibitions in Syria or abroad, over these exhibitions, Syria has artistic and cultural festivals which become periodical, this activity increases in summer & spring periods.
There is not a widespread diseases in Syria, where the government takes care about health & public safety by bring Modern Medical Instruments for public hospitals which found at all cities, presents free services for all people. There are many private hospitals related to Army’s forces and the Dispensaries also free of cost, all work under the control of Health Ministry.
Nowadays Syria has a clear development in Transpiration Sector where the government has special attention for establishing an integral infrastructure net, as streets, modern communication tools electrical and water dragnets and other essential escorts. Syria has all mail services like ordinary Mail, Telegram, Telephone, Fax, Telefax & E-mail services, also many foreign courier offices expand in all areas. Syrian has mobile services, many converting stations were established where the plenty of international net is 1000 national circles. Communication net becomes digital one 100%.

General Information about Syria
Economic Features:

The Syrian economy has multiple resources: it depends on agricultural, industrial, trade and services sectors, as well as on the petroleum – extracting sector which has witnessed a large development in crude oil extraction.

As concerns the economic system, it depends on economic pluralism since there are a public sector in Syria which supervises key strategic sectors, as well as private and mixed sectors which participate in most economic fields.

However, there is an inclination to allowing the private sector to enter into such industrial areas which had been confined to the public sector, in addition to taking measures for turning to the market economy in most economic areas, though gradually.

Syria enjoys a moderate Mediterranean climate which is adequate for setting up large industrial enterprises, in addition to the spacious areas on which the country lies – 185180 km2. Add to this its location at the western side of Asia and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea – a strategic location in commercial terms, at the meeting point of three continents (Asia, Europe and Africa ). More over, Syria is a tranquil country in which there is an atmosphere of security and peaceful life, which would encourage foreign investors and give greater chances for investments to succeed and develop.

As for as the laws which encourage investment in Syria are concerned, we find that such laws have ensured that investors can introduce their capitals in the form of cash money, of machines or of equipment, and deposit them with their own accounts which are open in foreign currency at the commercial bank of Syria. They have also the right to transfer them abroad after six month as of their entry to Syria in case some event of force major prevented them from being invested.

In addition, they have the right to repatriate them in full after five years of starting operating the enterprise, together with their right to transfer any annual profits or revenue accrued from investment of their invested money as per laws in force. Every Syrian citizen, however, has the right to open an account in foreign currency with which he/she can deposit any amount he/she owns or receives, and he/she has the right to use that account as he/she desires. In addition, exporters have the right to keep all the revenue of their exports, in foreign currency, if these were agricultural produce, or to keep 75% of the revenues of their exports if these were other products. In fact, our banks were able to persuade Arab and foreign banks to reconsider dealing with them and to offer them all facilities required for promoting foreign trade.

As concerns founding industrial organizations or firms as per decree – law No. 103, we find the following:

1. Exemption of industrial organizations from the property tax for six years, namely new constructions designed as plants or factories to be used for industrial investment (including management buildings, residences of officials and workers located or their premises, and machines and industrial instruments which are appendant to the new constructions and are included in the property tax assessment).
2. Exemption of industrial organizations from the income tax for three years as from the date of their operation, together with those industries which are proven to be needed by the country or are non – existent in the country.

However, here are some actual achievements realized by the Syrian industry in the last years, which could be regarded as an important indicator of the fast developments in industrial and economic fields:

The expansion of the new Lattakia Factory has been fulfilled, which raised its capacity to 12,000 mt; all productive machines have been imported for Idleb Spinning Enterprise, which raised its capacity to 24,000 mt of high qualigy cotton yarns; the galvanization line of metal tubes in Hama Iron Company is being developed and expanded to increase the productive capacity from 20,000 mt to 40,000 mt of galvanized tubes annually; the study of an enterprise for producing phosphatic fertilizer is still going on; and a contract has been concluded for founding a new enterprise for producing cement in Hama.

With respect to the private industrial sector, its enterprises have increased from, 9,493 ones in 1970 to 38,499 in 1998. The total capital of those enterprises has increased from SP 363 millions to SP 39,927 millions. The number of industrial enterprises licensed as per the Investment Law No. 10 for 1991 has amounted to 725 at a total value of SP 281.8 billions, which covered food, textile, chemical and engineering industries.

In addition, we have started in the public sector to apply a pioneer experiment; namely, management by objectives. However, we have to do our best, in this sector, to achieve the following:

1. Raising the standard of the technology used in the manufacture of materials, as well as innovating machines and equipment.
   
2. Raising the standard of productivity and utilizing the available productive capacities.
   
3. Developing managerial, technical and professional skills.
   
4. Developing the standard of quality in contrast with the international standards of quality.
   
5. Developing marketing and promotional channels, especially in exportation.
   
6. Establishing a linkage among agricultural, mining and manufacturing sectors, with a view to broadening the base of producing such crops and raw materials that are able to be processed in such a way that will satisfy the needs of existing manufacturing industries, as well as creating new industries.
   
7. Developing such organizations that would be supportive in analysis and quality control.
   
8. Supporting scientific industrial and agricultural research in improving the return of raw materials and crops used in manufacturing.
   
9. Updating the manufacture of wrapping and packing materials with high techniques.

However, our task is to translate these basic objectives into practical programs we are endeavoring to implement. Add to this the readiness of Syrian industrialists, which appeared lately, to fully coordinate and cooperate with foreign investors and industrialists in such a way that would serve the interests of both sides; and within this economic framework we find that there is a lot of facilities offered by the Syrian government in the form of free commodity exchange and capitals movement. As a matter of fact, this appeared clearly in freeing trade in such a way that would be appropriate to the necessity of securing the commodities required in our economy, and in such a way that would create in incentive for similar industries to gradually depend on their own productivity and tend to make use of the development, modernization and scientific progress available to them.