SYRIANNEWS — broadcast
20260920 183000 UTC
402 transcript segments
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[00:00:00] an interview with you, and he is a member of the People's
[00:00:02] Assembly who asks the minister to listen.
[00:00:06] Well, what then? He does not have the authority
[00:00:09] to interrogate or withdraw confidence or issue any decision
[00:00:13] that would hold him responsible. So, what does
[00:00:16] cost? And if the state is going to subsidize energy from the Syrian citizen benefit from listening
[00:00:18] to the Minister of Education and then the Minister of Oil
[00:00:21] as long as the parliament has been stripped of its most important
[00:00:32] deficit, what I said is very accurate. I'll give you
[00:00:36] Some people talked about this the numbers. Indeed, our oil balance before 2011 was not in deficit. Even
[00:00:39] in the nineties, oil production in Syria reached 650,000
[00:00:42] barrels. Even until 2011,
[00:00:46] the issue of confusion in the even until 2011, after
[00:00:46] as the stability of Syria today 2011, I have been working
[00:00:49] in the sector and I know it very well. Expert
[00:00:51] Professor, expert Professor, excuse me, he knows all these details very well.
[00:00:55] But after 2011, oil production began to decline.
[00:00:59] On December 8, 2024, the
[00:01:02] oil balance was in deficit. This is all I said, that it is an inherited system. This is
[00:01:06] are less than what the former regime used to announce. Yes, but was floating on a sea of no, the truth is, we used to
[00:01:09] import oil from Iran. In the last period, there was an oil balance deficit and even
[00:01:12] some of the derivatives. But in 2011, your words are 100% correct. The
[00:01:16] oil balance was not in deficit, and therefore its revenues were indeed a large
[00:01:19] to throw the consequences on part of the general budget. Well, the question that was asked directly is the
[00:01:25] detention and lost T4, teacher. These are the ones listening tool. The listening tool is a weakness in the People's Assembly, but the powers
[00:01:27] salaries now actually of the People's Assembly, according to the constitutional declaration, only granted the People's
[00:01:30] Assembly the right to listen. There is a philosophy behind
[00:01:33] this issue, that during the transitional phase, it might be
[00:01:36] better for the People's Assembly to only have the listening tool
[00:01:41] economic benefit for all this so that there is no obstruction of government work, and considering that the presidential system also
[00:01:45] did not allow the executive authority to dissolve the People's Assembly, there was a kind of
[00:01:49] exchange in powers. The listening tool itself, I believe that the
[00:01:53] vote of no confidence tool is indeed a strong tool,
[00:01:57] but the ability to use it, even in developed parliaments, is very
[00:02:00] weak, and when it is used extensively, it leads to justification. But this
[00:02:05] By increasing productivity. You should not listening tool, if managed effectively and used effectively,
[00:02:09] and not through precise questions that create pressure. But
[00:02:12] Dr., does this system you are talking about not turn listening
[00:02:15] sessions into meaningless sessions? This is what some ask. I
[00:02:19] believe that listening
[00:02:20] to us as a result of withdrawing liquidity from sessions create pressure on the government in front
[00:02:23] of public opinion, in front of the presidency,
[00:02:25] our other guests, what should in front of the people, in front of the People's Assembly. We rely on the media
[00:02:29] as pressure. I mean, we also, the media, there is no need for it to be present. The media is one of
[00:02:33] the authorities that exerts pressure on the executive authority and sometimes pushes it to change
[00:02:37] its decisions. The role of the People's Assembly has turned into the same role as
[00:02:40] the media. The listening
[00:02:41] And bring people back to tool is not... There are some points that resemble the role of the media through this
[00:02:45] pressure, but with a greater technical mechanism. However, I
[00:02:48] admit that the listening tool is not the strong
[00:02:52] tool that the People's Assembly possesses. But the constitutional declaration granted these powers to the People's
[00:02:55] Assembly. As members of parliament now, we are committed to the constitutional
[00:02:58] declaration, so we must use these tools in the best possible
[00:03:22] the decision should be looked at with both eyes.
[00:03:25] One eye is on production,
[00:03:28] says that in the consumption, support, and the difference between them, and the second
[00:03:31] as Mr. Musa says, a problem with important eye is the citizen's living situation. I said
[00:03:33] that we should not look at the fastest
[00:03:37] this issue, about the flaw in ways with a revenue collection
[00:03:37] as memoranda were signed and so on, we thank them for this mindset, and we should also look at the productive sectors. My brother,
[00:03:41] Muhammad, Syria is now in the process of emergence,
[00:03:44] in the process of preparing for industry
[00:03:45] the flaw, as the gentlemen pointed out and agriculture. Raising the price of oil derivatives
[00:03:49] and energy carriers in general first
[00:03:52] raises the price of the final product in the market for the consumer.
[00:03:55] Second, the producer
[00:03:58] The discussion is good, I mean, and honestly, this loses to the Syrian product imported from
[00:04:01] abroad. Third, and also important, it loses
[00:04:04] the ability to compete for the Syrian
[00:04:07] exported commodity. So, in short, if
[00:04:10] I were a decision-maker in Syria, I would not have
[00:04:14] raised energy prices because the strategic vision... What would
[00:04:18] you have done? What would you have done, Mr. Adnan? I would have looked for
[00:04:21] other resources for the treasury and subsidized oil
[00:04:24] with them. Why? Because from a strategic perspective
[00:04:28] and a profit and loss measure, the government
[00:04:30] is currently losing on the social level. People took to the streets.
[00:04:34] Syrians took to the streets. On the economic
[00:04:37] level, it lost its competitive ability
[00:04:40] and Syrian production. On the Syrian citizen level, it made them
[00:04:44] poorer and more in need, and they were the ones
[00:04:47] spoke today who struggled to live in prosperity and... Well, the idea is clear. Let me hear Dr. Mahmoud's
[00:04:50] opinion. Mr. Adnan is talking about a
[00:04:53] revenue collection mindset. Overall, do you think
[00:04:57] this is present
[00:04:59] They went for the easier solution. This is from your side? And we also talked about the options that were
[00:05:02] available to the government. Were there clear
[00:05:06] and possible options that the government
[00:05:09] could have resorted to amidst all this crisis?
[00:05:13] No, I want to stop at the point of searching for other resources for the treasury
[00:05:17] and subsidizing oil. Here, I want to add an important reservation:
[00:05:21] subsidies need an answer to a simple question: where will
[00:05:24] the money come from and how much will it
[00:05:28] the treasury, we also need to know the amount of the subsidy and the source
[00:05:32] of the revenue, meaning what
[00:05:35] will fund it. Because if we fund it with a deficit or
[00:05:38] with debt between state institutions, then
[00:05:41] we have not solved the problem, but rather transferred the bill
[00:05:45] from the citizen's pocket.
[00:05:48] option, that it's a matter of borrowing. Why don't we borrow to
[00:05:52] solve the crisis temporarily? You see this option as not
[00:05:55] sound? No, on the contrary, this is a very
[00:05:58] sound option. In light of what
[00:06:02] is happening now, you want to
[00:06:05] deliver all energy to all homes
[00:06:09] and in return consume all
[00:06:13] of the citizen's salary. Therefore, there is a very
[00:06:15] important point, Mr. Muhammad. Raising salaries is not
[00:06:19] the basis, and the discussion about raising
[00:06:23] salaries to coincide with increasing energy
[00:06:26] prices is not appropriate.
[00:06:29] Why? Because we must first look at
[00:06:33] salaries and compare them to the
[00:06:36] cost of living. That is, if
[00:06:40] only cover 20% of salaries,
[00:06:59] then the basket
[00:07:01] will increase. The cost of living basket
[00:07:05] will increase. Therefore, we must take into account how
[00:07:08] to have salary increases that are commensurate with
[00:07:12] the value of the food basket and the cost of living basket. How does that happen?
[00:07:18] only think about revenue collection. Revenue
[00:07:21] collection is also a method used to withdraw
[00:07:24] liquidity from the markets, and we have already
[00:07:27] had enough liquidity withdrawn from the markets. What happened
[00:07:33] the markets, I mean, the inflation that the country has reached is
[00:07:36] a result of the scarcity of liquidity that the central bank has held,
[00:07:40] and this is a wrong policy
[00:07:55] to finding solutions and not criticizing the Minister of Energy
[00:07:58] to solve the problem. Yes, everything that
[00:08:02] our colleagues discussed is very necessary, but in my
[00:08:05] opinion, I have a different
[00:08:31] people understand talk? I mean, we have
[00:08:34] positive steps that no one denies. The ministry
[00:08:40] first half of 2026,
[00:09:06] said that some of the basins,
[00:09:10] the basins, I mean, what happens is a primitive process that perhaps
[00:09:13] didn't even happen in the Stone Age, where they bring from the well
[00:09:17] and open a cement basin that they made. I received
[00:09:20] information, and so did the people in the fields, that they open
[00:09:23] the well to this oil basin and bring
[00:09:26] a motor, whether electric or otherwise, and fill
[00:09:29] the tank, my brother. Our oil
[00:09:32] is 50% and 60% water. I mean, the
[00:09:36] transported oil is indeed 10,000 barrels or
[00:09:39] 102,000 barrels from the fields
[00:09:42] to the refinery, but 50% of it
[00:09:46] is water, and he himself said, or
[00:09:49] rather, Kablawi said, that we have two million barrels
[00:09:53] that cannot be exported due to the acids in them. There is a difference between the number and the
[00:09:56] liquid. I want to know
[00:10:00] how many barrels of oil he brought, because we know the infrastructure
[00:10:03] in the entire region is destroyed,
[00:10:07] not entirely destroyed.
[00:10:11] an easier, primitive solution, and I commented
[00:10:15] on it before. This is an easier
[00:10:25] in Aleppo to re-run the burners there. My brother,
[00:10:29] since the beginning of the crisis, and yesterday,
[00:10:32] I mean, the discussion is not
[00:10:42] yesterday, I took the initiative on portable
[00:10:46] refinery that produces 5,000 to
[00:10:49] 10,000 barrels. It is available and manufactured in China, and we sold
[00:10:53] some of it in Africa and some in Russia.
[00:10:55] You see, and since the beginning of the crisis, I said, "My brother, fix the refineries
[00:10:58] and fix the pipelines." Look, Syrian production will not
[00:11:01] return to the way we dream of if we don't fix
[00:11:05] the pipelines. I counted them for you, we have four pipelines on the river
[00:11:08] crossing, and none of them has been fixed yet. This is transporting
[00:11:12] tankers. You want to transport 200, 300 thousand
[00:11:15] barrels, you need thousands of tankers and you need existing
[00:11:18] infrastructure. Well, the minister today talked about fixing the pipelines,
[00:11:22] Mr. Musa, what is this?
[00:11:25] My dear, even the Kirkuk pipeline, even the
[00:11:28] Kirkuk pipeline, which is already established, you have the
[00:11:32] Al-Omar and Tank coming from Al-Mayadeen and joining with T3, which is
[00:11:36] coming from Iraq, and you have a pipeline from Al-Jafra, east of Deir ez-Zor
[00:11:40] and west of Deir ez-Zor. These are also coming
[00:11:44] to join T3 and then to
[00:11:47] that caused very rapid closures due to the war, and these
[00:11:50] today have frozen
[00:11:53] oil and derivatives. I
[00:12:07] fixing the pipelines should have been the focus from the beginning,
[00:12:11] instead of focusing on filming in the fields and saying we
[00:12:14] produced and we didn't produce, and I was not convinced by this issue, and I stand by
[00:12:18] my words. I told you and I sent a plan at the beginning of the crisis
[00:12:22] for five to six years.
[00:12:36] that we need five to seven years, and I published this, and it's available on
[00:12:39] my posts since 2025, that the
[00:12:55] was to form a crisis cell and bring back the old experts who
[00:12:59] used to work in the fields without nepotism
[00:13:01] and without understanding what I mean by that.
[00:13:06] the fields. We had Syrian experts, the only ones historically, who
[00:13:10] used to produce oil without foreign
[00:13:13] expertise in the entire Middle East, and all these experts
[00:13:17] are available and all sitting at home. I would bring them and exempt them.
[00:13:20] Then, regarding investments, there's something I'll tell you we're doing today
[00:13:24] in Libya with Haftar. He has a siege with Nigeria. There's
[00:13:28] something called production sharing. My brother, come on. There are many
[00:13:31] companies you bring, they do service and intervention,
[00:13:35] they do matrix stimulation for you and restore everything, and
[00:13:39] today you have production. 20,000 barrels. You give them
[00:13:42] if it increases to more than 30,000 barrels, they take their share from the production
[00:13:46] sharing. And this was something very good. Why didn't we bring these
[00:13:50] companies and attract them? Excellent.
[00:13:52] Dr., Dr. Nawar, there is,
[00:13:56] management in general. Did you ask
[00:13:59] the minister today about
[00:14:02] management? And do you also see that there is indeed a flaw
[00:14:05] in management from your side? No, I believe, I believe that no,
[00:14:10] initially, is in the overall financial policy.
[00:14:13] The minister partially presented the issue of the structure. I am not familiar
[00:14:17] with the structure of companies, frankly, and I am not an expert in it.
[00:14:23] kind of discussion I was trying to open through my intervention in the People's Assembly.
[00:14:27] They gave me one minute to
[00:14:51] problem is that oil prices have risen. Now,
[00:14:54] the price in the market is much lower than the price
[00:14:58] it costs this material. The government resorted to the easiest
[00:15:01] solution, which is raising the price. Raising the price
[00:15:04] means inflation, simply put. They resorted to a second
[00:15:07] solution two days later, which is multiple prices. The minister
[00:15:12] about moving from a socialist
[00:15:15] system to diversifying prices. Is this not a temporary solution? Prices, this is the worst
[00:15:19] kind of solution. The worst kind of solution. Multiple prices is
[00:15:22] the graveyard of the economy. Why? Why? It has been tried
[00:15:25] before. It is a socialist solution that has been tried and failed. Multiple
[00:15:29] prices mean a black market. It means manipulating the specifications of the material.
[00:15:32] It also means manipulating the inflation process by
[00:15:36] buying at a high price. And in our case, it also means restarting
[00:15:39] the undeveloped refining,
[00:15:42] which leads to pollution. Therefore, multiple prices are
[00:15:45] a failed experience in all countries of the world. Okay, Mr. Adnan, let's hear his comment on this
[00:15:49] point. Is it true that multiple prices or their diversification in these
[00:15:53] categories is the graveyard of the economy, as Dr. Nouar says? I
[00:15:57] wrote about that, that the Ministry of Transport moved from one
[00:16:00] problem to several problems because it
[00:16:03] will open up a space for the black market.
[00:16:07] There will be multiple prices, there will be corruption, and so on. But Mr.
[00:16:10] Muhammad, let's say something. Now, the crisis of rising
[00:16:14] global energy prices and its impact on
[00:16:17] Syria is a current crisis, but we are facing
[00:16:21] successive crises and are expecting many crises
[00:16:24] as a result of, I will not say officials, and I will not say
[00:16:27] oil contracts, nor companies that take
[00:16:30] contracts without announcement, and I will not delve into those important
[00:16:34] labyrinths that I hope will have separate episodes.
[00:16:38] We are facing a Syrian reality where the resources
[00:16:41] of the public treasury
[00:16:44] the expenditure.
[00:16:47] Current or investment expenditure. So, the official
[00:16:50] is called an official to find solutions to this
[00:16:54] crisis and not
[00:16:56] the consumer and take or restore the budget deficit from
[00:17:11] we look into resources, Mr. Muhammad, we need
[00:17:15] the government's honesty in dealing with the Syrian citizen, and the Syrian
[00:17:18] citizen is loyal and will stand by the government. Are you referring to
[00:17:22] transparency here, Mr. Adnan? Absolutely. Honesty
[00:17:24] and transparency. Number two, has today's session partially solved
[00:17:28] the problem of transparency? Mr.
[00:17:30] Muhammad, I told you that today's session was justificatory. I mean, you
[00:17:34] ask and I answer. The second important point, I will speak
[00:17:37] briefly due to time, is to define the identity of
[00:17:41] Syria's economy. We are still living in a state of
[00:17:44] structural confusion, if I may say so, in the Syrian
[00:17:48] economy. We moved from a socialist transformation economy or
[00:17:51] a central economy to a market economy, as announced
[00:17:55] by the President and other officials, but the
[00:17:58] transition was sudden. They did not specify
[00:18:01] the type of market economy. Is it a liberal
[00:18:04] market economy or a social market economy? Also,
[00:18:17] that the public resources of the state in Syria come from
[00:18:20] the oil sector, from the surpluses of economic institutions,
[00:18:24] and from taxes and fees. If we look at
[00:18:27] these three, Dr. Nawar believes that we must
[00:18:37] three resources, we see that they are in decline,
[00:18:40] rather, they are financed with a deficit. So what is the solution?
[00:18:43] The first solution is to, as I said,
[00:18:47] based on the principle of disclosure and transparency, announce
[00:18:51] the confiscations that the new authority
[00:18:54] confiscated from the former Assad regime and
[00:18:57] put them up for sale in public auctions. Number one.
[00:19:00] Number two, to implement general government austerity.
[00:19:04] I mean, major countries that are suffering from the oil crisis now,
[00:19:08] like Turkey, have announced austerity, but they have not
[00:19:12] shifted the burden to the consumer, but rather provided many
[00:19:15] support methods. And also, regarding the energy sector, there are many
[00:19:19] solutions, including alternative energy.
[00:19:35] as the professor said, I mean, I'll tell you something.
[00:19:38] Based on my work in the region and elsewhere,
[00:19:40] Syria has an economic diversification
[00:19:44] that is better than all Gulf countries. Today, the Gulf countries,
[00:19:47] due to oil, are almost all paralyzed.
[00:19:51] I know and am fully aware that before
[00:19:53] the revolution, our economy was based on four
[00:19:57] or five pillars, all parallel. I remember
[00:20:00] that agriculture accounted for 2.5
[00:20:03] ممكن نحن كانت الزراعه بشكل 2.5
[00:20:07] billion of the annual budget, and our industry
[00:20:11] generated approximately 3 billion from the industrial
[00:20:15] budget, and tourism generated approximately 2.0
[00:20:18] billion, and transit and taxes,
[00:20:21] and transit and taxes accounted for 2.5%, in addition
[00:20:24] to oil, which accounted for 3%. This economic
[00:20:27] diversification, which they call revenue diversity in the world, is not available
[00:20:31] in most countries of the world. Therefore, today we are focusing on a point that may be the weakest
[00:20:34] link, which is oil. But oil, I tell you, we are
[00:20:38] not an oil country, and we do not
[00:20:41] export oil. In ten years, we will be importers. Why don't
[00:20:44] we focus on the other sectors,
[00:20:47] in addition to finding sustainable solutions
[00:20:50] and gradually addressing the issue of the oil sector, so that at least we can be self-sufficient
[00:20:54] domestically?
[00:20:58] No plan has been submitted, even the plan for 2026 is available there.
[00:21:01] Nor have we submitted the strategy for four or five years. Okay,
[00:21:05] fine. He doesn't have a technical team that can do that. We were ready,
[00:21:08] and many people sat down with us and worked on a strategy to solve
[00:21:12] this issue, but the focus remains on the issue of
[00:21:17] the brothers said from the beginning, why should he be the one to start
[00:21:20] raising prices? This is an economic issue, and the Minister of Finance
[00:21:24] or the Minister of Economy should go and raise prices
[00:21:31] economic, as you see. Mr. Adnan was talking about
[00:21:36] economy and the lack of a clear model for the economy's
[00:21:39] identity. Excuse me, I just want to comment on
[00:21:43] the point made by the kind guest who said that
[00:21:46] it is effectively a non-oil country,
[00:21:50] because people were led to believe that Syria
[00:21:55] oil, and this was a very big mistake.
[00:21:59] And I mean, this phrase was repeated
[00:22:02] more than once, and
[00:22:05] for example, the topic of the four
[00:22:08] seas plus one and so
[00:22:11] on was completely ignored.
[00:22:14] I mean, there is an exaggeration of 80 or
[00:22:18] 85%, and an illusion is being sold,
[00:22:21] you mean. Yes, 80%
[00:22:24] of the oil that leaves Hormuz goes to Asia.
[00:22:28] So there is no
[00:22:31] oil to pass from the Gulf to Syria and then to the Mediterranean
[00:22:35] Sea and then exit
[00:22:48] and the tools for managing the transitional phase is important
[00:22:52] because the existence of government intervention or support for some sectors does not automatically mean
[00:22:55] that we are facing a socialist economy or that price liberalization alone
[00:22:59] makes the economy a true market economy. The government
[00:23:03] announced a move towards a market economy and the private sector,
[00:23:07] and I personally don't see it as the main problem that you choose
[00:23:10] a name and say liberal or social market. The citizen and the
[00:23:13] investor need to know the rules of
[00:23:16] the game. In any case, the discussion is long.
[00:23:24] In short, our problem is that we have a deficit in the oil
[00:23:28] balance. The government resorted to the easiest solution, which is raising prices. It resorted to
[00:23:31] a solution that is not a solution, which is multiple prices. The solution is to provide support
[00:23:35] for oil derivatives through, first, reducing spending and reducing
[00:23:38] extravagant spending fundamentally. The second point is increasing
[00:23:42] production and securing progressive tax revenues on the wealthy classes
[00:23:45] to provide support for sectors like oil, food, health, and education,
[00:23:49] and thus maintain the fair distribution of national income because
[00:23:52] in the end, just a quick word, if you please, because if
[00:23:55] government intervention is necessary
[00:24:06] countries around the world that have a deficit in their oil balance. The only
[00:24:10] countries that do not have a deficit in their oil balance are the countries that
[00:24:14] produce oil. So it's natural for Syria to have a deficit in its oil
[00:24:17] balance. I mean, it's not like it's something
[00:24:26] Just to broaden the scope of the vision,
[00:24:29] let's ask, when was the last time the government met in
[00:24:33] Syria, and how was such an important decision
[00:24:36] made, which has numerous economic repercussions,
[00:24:39] without a government meeting? And I ask a question. The President,
[00:24:43] Ahmed Al-Sharq, said from Dubai that the current GDP is
[00:24:46] 34 billion and will reach 50
[00:24:50] billion in 2026. So, on what basis was this figure communicated
[00:24:54] to the President if Syria does not have plans?
[00:24:58] Mr. Muhammad, Syria needs competent people
[00:25:01] in decision-making positions. It needs planning, implementation,
[00:25:05] and setting timelines for implementation so that this
[00:25:08] government can be held accountable for the plans it sets, and not
[00:25:12] for decisions to be arbitrary and chaotic,
[00:26:41] to restore hope not only for Syrians, but for the entire
[00:26:44] region,
[00:26:49] does not only serve Syria, but also serves the entire region, and it is a common interest
[00:26:52] for all. Syria now, as I mentioned to
[00:26:56] you, had great opportunities, and many seized them, especially
[00:27:00] Gulf countries, so investments began to flow into
[00:27:03] Syria successively. Our people in the Emirates
[00:27:07] are opportunists, so accordingly, Dubai
[00:27:11] Ports invested in the port of
[00:27:13] Tartus.
[00:28:08] After the completion of the first phase of the practical
[00:28:11] application of Presidential Decree No. 13 regarding
[00:28:14] the naturalization of Kurdish citizens residing in the territory.
[00:28:17] Syrian
[00:28:20] Today our committees continue to
[00:28:23] interview citizens accepted during the first
[00:28:26] stage.
[00:30:22] file:
[00:30:25] Real estate development and industrial
[00:30:28] and tourism facilities in Aleppo. Projects discussed by President
[00:30:32] Ahmed Shara with a number of ministers
[00:30:35] and officials.
[00:30:40] And in our second file for tonight, we talk about the hearing
[00:30:43] held by the People's Assembly for the Minister
[00:30:47] of Energy after the ministry's decision to adjust fuel
[00:30:50] prices and provide it.
[00:30:51] And in
[00:30:56] Deir ez-Zor, the launch of the "Bridges of Recovery" medical campaign.