Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00is very important in this upcoming stage,
00:00:03and other and also allowing businessmen,
00:00:05matters related to whether
00:00:07Many those who remained abroad as part of business councils
00:00:09or those who are present on Syrian territories, to express
00:00:13their presence and have proper representation in
00:00:16chambers of commerce and industry, and also their presence in
00:00:19legal development or the development of the legal and legislative environment expected
00:00:23currently with the return of the People's Assembly and other
00:00:26responsibilities that fall under the government's responsibility. The government
00:00:30should not only outline the broad lines but
00:00:34also contribute to strengthening
00:00:36local initiatives,
00:00:39initiatives based on the capabilities of Aleppo's residents, and this, by the way,
00:00:43applies not only to the city of Aleppo but to all Syrian cities,
00:00:47including Damascus, the capital,
00:00:50of course. Yes, thank you very much, Dr. Abdel Moneim
00:00:54Al-Halabi, academic and economic expert. You were with us from Gaziantep.
00:00:58Our thanks also go to Dr. Abdul Rahman Dadm, head of the Aleppo branch of the Syrian
00:01:02Economists Syndicate. You were also our guest from
00:01:05Aleppo. Thank you very much to both of you.
00:01:10and this is an encroachment incident or event. In
00:01:15But if we go back to the core of
00:01:22a question about agriculture in The Minister of Energy, Muhammad Al-Bashir, revealed during his presentation to the People's
00:01:25Some colleagues intervened in this Assembly figures related to the reality of the oil
00:01:29and gas sector, and the plan to rehabilitate fields and develop
00:01:32infrastructure, indicating that the ministry has started working on regaining
00:01:36oil fields and rehabilitating them after
00:01:39receiving them in stages. The Minister of Energy, Muhammad
00:01:42Al-Bashir, explained that the cost of one liter of diesel is about
00:01:46to no technical loss, no 206 Syrian good thing that contributes to pounds, pointing out that the ministry,
00:01:49after adjusting the prices of petroleum derivatives, bears
00:01:53a loss of about
00:01:56readiness, and reliability in 31 Syrian pounds for every liter of diesel.
00:02:01Today, a liter of diesel at international prices is $1570.
00:02:0540% of the questions The last deal we bought, a liter of diesel cost us 26
00:02:08Syrian pounds. A liter
00:02:10I want to mention something very important in this of diesel costs were changed to suit the ministry 206,
00:02:13this type of and the company sells it for
00:02:16of institutions. I mean, 175, as we determined. So, the loss is 31 Syrian pounds per
00:02:21are in direct contact with namely the necessity of governing liter after the increase. This 31 Syrian pounds is for diesel. After raising
00:02:24prices, its cost is 206 Syrian
00:02:26pounds at the latest prices.
00:02:30The market after adjusting these
00:02:32Almost 70% of prices without profit. There is no
00:02:33solution that perhaps does not such thing here. This is a tough one. He says it costs us hours with His Excellency the Minister. There 260. Gas
00:02:35align with the approach of production was about 6 million cubic
00:02:39meters of gas. Of course, Syria's need for gas is 24 million cubic
00:02:42meters to
00:02:45changed 30% of operate all our ready-made stations.
00:02:47the questions to align with Today we are producing 6 million, meaning a quarter, I mean, we used to
00:02:50in which he answers produce 6, we raised it to 8.1 after we entered
00:02:52part of the Conoco plant. Of course, yesterday it was 8.4
00:02:56the day we prepared the presentation, the day we started it, from Wednesday,
00:03:03controlling them from it reached 9 million, according to the same oil story. Closing
00:03:06wells and bringing new wells into service. Reactivating
00:03:09drilling
00:03:12oversight tools from operations. We drilled about 4840
00:03:14meters and brought two drilling rigs into service after they were idle and stopped.
00:03:1721 wells were repaired, 152 wells were operated,
00:03:21the loss, at least, 10 new wells were brought into production, drilled and brought into
00:03:24production. This is the balance
00:03:27of need, and this is a very important point.
00:03:30The balance of need for Syria. We need
00:03:33about 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
00:03:37Our needs have grown and increased significantly for several reasons.
00:03:41we import, why the contradiction in First, these areas entered
00:03:44our areas, so they started taking petroleum derivatives through the ministry,
00:03:47Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and others. Second, stopping
00:03:50the burners that were producing from
00:03:53the oil that was coming to us from the Euphrates East region, which was
00:03:56supplying the market, even if it was a percentage of 5 to 10% depending
00:04:00on winter and summer, etc. The third thing is the growth in demand.
00:04:04Today, the industrial city in Aleppo started with
00:04:06in the governorate
00:04:06of the Syrian pound in this 900 factories and reached 1500. These need energy, they need
00:04:10diesel and fuel for operation. The number of cars that were in
00:04:14Syria in 2005
00:04:17was 2.5 million cars. Today, the number of cars is
00:04:20legislation by the constitutional declaration, I can 3.6 million cars. Here, I also want to explain a very
00:04:24important issue. Syria's
00:04:26violations. There are many encroachments on 13 oil refineries in production capacity, the refining capacity of stations
00:04:28or refineries in Syria. How many refineries?
00:04:32and Adhra tanks, Baniyas refinery before the shutdown for comprehensive maintenance was about
00:04:36number of volunteers from 9,000 to 10,000 region. First, this would eliminate
00:04:36we requested information on this barrels daily, and Homs refinery was about 40 to 50,000 barrels daily. This means
00:04:40we used to produce an average of 150,000 barrels daily.
00:04:45and the other eye on the people, on We bring 150,000 barrels, 30,000 barrels is our need. Part of it is local
00:04:48production, and part of it is imports. It is
00:04:52imports. So we take it to the refineries. These refineries refine
00:04:55150,000 barrels. The remaining shortage is 150,000 barrels. What do I
00:04:59do? We buy petroleum derivatives. We buy diesel and gasoline
00:05:03equivalent to 150,000 barrels.
00:05:06This means if I had a refining capacity of
00:05:09300,000 barrels, I wouldn't need to buy derivatives. I would buy 10,000 barrels or
00:05:13local production of 10,000, and I would buy 20,000 and refine
00:05:16them here, and it would cover the market. I wouldn't need to buy derivatives. However,
00:05:20our refining capacity is 150,000 barrels. Therefore, we
00:05:23cannot cover the market's need for petroleum derivatives without importing
00:05:27diesel and gasoline.
00:05:30Regarding this topic, we are pleased to host here in the studio member of the People's Assembly
00:05:34and head of the Energy Committee in the Assembly, Engineer Iqbal Mohammed Mansour. Hello,
00:05:38Professor Iqbal, and thank you for being with us on Syria
00:05:41Tonight. A long session continued with His
00:05:45Excellency the Minister of Energy Muhammad Al-Bashir. You heard all
00:05:48that he said. Yes, first, did he remove all the question marks that
00:05:52you, as members of the People's Assembly, had for him? In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
00:05:56Praise be to God, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God. In the beginning,
00:05:59I want to mention something to ground the topic. Today, hearing
00:06:02sessions are a supervisory tool carried out by one of
00:06:06the People's Assembly committees or a group of members. The goal
00:06:10is to request clarifications and inquiries from the competent
00:06:12minister or the head of the body with financial and administrative independence
00:06:15to explain the causes, results,
00:06:19and effects in a particular
00:06:22fact, after the decision to increase the prices of petroleum derivatives,
00:06:26and within the powers granted to me by
00:06:30the internal regulations, I, in consultation with the members of
00:06:33the Energy Committee, requested a hearing for the Minister
00:06:36of Energy. In our parliamentary custom,
00:06:40there is a general hearing session and a special
00:06:42hearing session. After consulting with the Speaker of the People's Assembly, Dr. Abdul Hamid
00:06:46Al-Awaq, we decided that it would be a general hearing session, benefiting from
00:06:49the minister's presence with us. However, the backbone and main
00:06:53focus would be on the prices of petroleum derivatives, and
00:06:57then we would discuss the topic of dams,
00:07:00water, electricity, and so on. After
00:07:03that, my colleagues and I in the Energy Committee formed a workshop.
00:07:07Each of us took his specialty
00:07:10and returned to his popular bases to be fully
00:07:13aware of all axes and questions. We communicated with all members of parliament
00:07:17about the necessity of explaining and informing us about
00:07:20the matter in terms of the questions related to this topic. Regarding who prepared
00:07:24the questions, the Energy Committee, in addition to
00:07:27the MPs, we coordinated these
00:07:30questions, filtered them,
00:07:33and organized them. We set a specific
00:07:36policy so that the Energy Committee asked 40 strategic
00:07:40questions spanning the entire Syrian geography.
00:07:44the questions focused on petroleum derivatives, oil, and gas in general,
00:07:4720% on electricity, and 10% on
00:07:51water resources.
00:07:53After determining the questions,
00:07:56the Minister delivers
00:07:59a presentation
00:08:02the inquiries, and then the
00:08:06members of parliament ask questions that
00:08:08were not asked during
00:08:12the previous session. So we divided the hearing session into a previous
00:08:15session and a subsequent session. The first
00:08:18one was for the committee members and included
00:08:21important strategic questions. Then the rest of the
00:08:24members of parliament intervened on other matters. In fact,
00:08:27we started with the important and hot
00:08:30topic, which is the justifications and circumstances
00:08:33for the increase in prices of petroleum derivatives
00:08:37and fuels. This was the hot topic, and
00:08:40then we requested some clarification
00:08:43on the reasons, on the quantities
00:08:46available, how much Syria produces of oil
00:08:49and gas, how much it consumes, how much
00:08:53the statements that led to suspicion
00:08:57from some people and observers.
00:09:01Then we moved on and asked about the pricing equation,
00:09:04how petroleum derivatives are priced. We asked about
00:09:08the committee that determines the prices of petroleum derivatives.
00:09:11Who is it composed of? How is the decision
00:09:14made? Does the pricing mechanism include the exchange rate
00:09:19matter? We moved to the second part, which is that we know
00:09:22that the maintenance and overhaul of Baniyas refinery was one of the reasons for
00:09:26the increase in petroleum derivatives prices. Of course, there is a global increase,
00:09:30exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war,
00:09:33the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, and the targeting of more than
00:09:38the Gulf. All these factors affected
00:09:42the prices of petroleum derivatives. However, the reason for the delay
00:09:46in the overhaul of Baniyas refinery,
00:09:48matter.
00:09:51Most of the questions were about these
00:09:53matters. Mr. Muhammad
00:09:56Al-Bashir answered these
00:10:00questions and inquiries
00:10:03in general, and then we moved to the strategic situation
00:10:06to some extent. For example, benefiting from Iraqi oil,
00:10:10the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline.
00:10:12The pipeline connecting, for example, Armilan and Homs refinery, when will it be rehabilitated?
00:10:16We asked about the mechanism of oil contracts,
00:10:20how oil is purchased. We asked about the mechanism of
00:10:24contracts between petroleum service companies and the Ministry
00:10:27of Energy. We asked about the SPC, about the Syrian Petroleum Company.
00:10:32questions, to be honest, there was no limit
00:10:35at all. There was a very high ceiling for freedoms. There was no
00:10:39veto, no censorship on any question. All
00:10:42questions were open for discussion and allowed, and
00:10:46they were answered with full transparency and logic. Today,
00:10:49more than 130 questions were asked, and the hearing
00:10:52lasted for almost five and a half hours.
00:10:56So these matters are sufficient for the hearing sessions to, God willing,
00:10:59fulfill their purpose. In fact,
00:11:03I found the hearing session for the Minister of Energy better than the hearing session
00:11:07for the Minister of Education. I believe that the hearing sessions, God willing,
00:11:11are on an upward trend, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
00:11:13We learn from experience, we learn how
00:11:16to exercise our oversight, representative,
00:11:19and legislative roles in such sessions.
00:11:23When we return to this session, it was truly detailed and lasted
00:11:26about six hours, with only half an hour for a break, as you mentioned,
00:11:30Professor Iqbal. Therefore, many figures were presented
00:11:33and 130 questions were directed to the Minister, and he answered
00:11:37all of them as part of clarifying
00:11:40questions. He had already held a press conference with Mr.
00:11:44Al-Qablani a few days before this session. Therefore,
00:11:48when you heard the answers from
00:11:51His Excellency the Minister, did you have to amend
00:11:55or add questions, according to the answers you
00:11:58heard, or was it just that
00:12:01these questions were set and you wouldn't ask any others? By the way,
00:12:05the hearing session was on Thursday, so we corresponded
00:12:07with the Minister and then with the Speaker of the People's Assembly regarding the enormity
00:12:11of the files. As you know, the Ministry of Energy today includes the Ministry
00:12:15of Electricity, Water Resources, Oil, and Mineral Resources, three
00:12:18ministries that require preparation,
00:12:21the figures. This matter led, when
00:12:25Mr. Muhammad Al-Bashir held the press conference, approximately
00:12:32the new situation. By the way,
00:12:35matter. After the decision to inject three types of diesel
00:12:39or fuel oil into the Syrian markets, we emphasized
00:12:42several things to His Excellency the Minister,
00:12:45this matter, preventing corruption, preventing fraud, preventing manipulation,
00:12:49and ensuring it reaches those who deserve it. This is indeed a thorny
00:12:52issue, but we addressed it. Likewise,
00:12:56we touched upon the topic of electric refineries or
00:12:59electric burners to
00:13:02refining burners, to environmental impact, to
00:13:05quality assurance, and so on. So we almost
00:13:12the new situation that was
00:13:15presented. Well, Professor Iqbal, and we are talking
00:13:18about the hearing session and what His Excellency
00:13:21the Minister said. Was there
00:13:26a discussion by the members of the council perhaps
00:13:29to convey the Syrian public's point of
00:13:33view? And you, sir, witnessed the demonstrations that took place,
00:13:36the angry demonstrations that were condemning the increase in fuel
00:13:39prices. The Minister's words are realistic, but the families want
00:13:42perhaps a sharing of
00:13:46so that the citizen does not bear all
00:13:49the loss. Did you present any viewpoints to His
00:13:52Excellency the Minister? To be honest, there is a very important
00:13:56matter. Today, we are members of the People's Assembly and not executive.
00:14:00We have the functions of representation, oversight,
00:14:02and legislation. Representation: As soon as fuel prices
00:14:06increased, we requested a hearing for the Minister of Energy. So we represent
00:14:09the people. Excellent. The second issue is the questions that were raised, which had
00:14:13no ceiling and were strategic, and they expressed the pulse
00:14:17of the street. So we moved from the representative role to
00:14:20the legislative topic to come
00:14:23up with outcomes from this session. For example, we touched on the issue
00:14:26of why the private sector does not participate in oil
00:14:29import and distribution, similar to Satcop, for example.
00:14:33The answer was that currently the conditions are not favorable,
00:14:37and there is no legislative framework for this matter. So as
00:14:40a legislator, as granted the function of
00:14:45enter this field. The second issue we discussed was the necessity of curbing
00:14:51networks, oil pipeline networks, electricity, water.
00:14:55So there must be deterrent
00:14:58and effective legislation that can impose
00:15:01the harshest penalties. So this is a legislative role I carried
00:15:04out as a member of the People's Assembly.
00:15:08For example, regarding the sewage issue, the Minister said that most sewage water
00:15:12goes into rivers and seas
00:15:15and pollutes them. Today, there is a strategic plan for the state
00:15:18to establish water treatment plants. For example, every year we establish
00:15:22three or four governorates. So we requested the approval of
00:15:25the budget when it comes to us as the People's Assembly to approve
00:15:29the budget, that there should be support for this file. So this is
00:15:32one of the things we took into consideration as members of the People's Assembly
00:15:36regarding oversight. We talked about the topic
00:15:40of SPC and high salaries, and the Minister
00:15:43told us that the SPC is such and such, but the salaries are normal, and there are some
00:15:47privileges and bonuses for some experts,
00:15:51and you can review the salary file, exactly
00:15:54as he said. So this is an oversight role we played.
00:15:58Also, the figures we requested, knowing
00:16:01that the hearing session, when is its success measured? Its success is measured
00:16:04after the session, during the session, and after the session. Are these
00:16:08figures and these plans implemented on the ground? This
00:16:11is a measure of success. So here is an oversight role we play.
00:16:15We requested a circular, for example,
00:16:18from the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic to all
00:16:21ministries, to civil and military sectors,
00:16:24on the necessity of austerity. Administrative expenses in Syria are approximately 26%,
00:16:27which is a high percentage. The necessity of austerity, the necessity
00:16:31of rationalizing consumption. So this is an oversight role we played. So this
00:16:35matter should not confuse us. We are members of the People, we have legislative
00:16:38and oversight authority, and we do not interfere in purely
00:16:42executive matters. Well, based on these
00:16:45steps, you are actually working in more than one context,
00:16:48as you pointed out, Professor Iqbal.
00:16:52this issue and the increase in prices,
00:16:55during the conference and also during the session,
00:16:59Mr. Mohammed Al-Bashir said that indeed three
00:17:02types of petroleum derivatives were offered, especially diesel.
00:17:05Will these materials be offered,
00:17:09and is there a timeline for their offering according to what you heard, or has
00:17:12their offering already begun in the markets
00:17:16effectively since the first day of their announcement?
00:17:18And how will the beneficiary parties
00:17:22and beneficiary categories be identified for
00:17:26this? This question was directly asked to His Excellency
00:17:29the Minister, and he said
00:17:31that we have started immediate procedures for
00:17:34this matter, and within
00:17:37days, this material will start to be
00:17:41supplied, of course, I mean subsidized diesel
00:17:44at 115 Syrian pounds. Regarding the issue
00:17:48of delivering
00:17:51fuel to its beneficiaries,
00:17:53a meeting was held with the governors who
00:17:58citizens, with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, with regional
00:18:01directors, for example. So this issue requires concerted
00:18:05efforts. It is honestly an emergency
00:18:07solution. It is a
00:18:13transitioning from a socialist economy to a free market economy, but it
00:18:16is a necessary evil, and God willing, it will be a temporary
00:18:19measure. Honestly, this decision has
00:18:23its difficulties and challenges, but
00:18:27we understood from His Excellency the Minister that there will be digital control
00:18:30of quantities, preventing corruption, preventing
00:18:33manipulation. There will be governance of
00:18:37this matter, unifying figures,
00:18:40the central administration in Damascus and the rest of the stations, and
00:18:44there will be specific stations, and there will be strict
00:18:49the executive authorities, from
00:18:51the governors, from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in
00:18:55this regard as much as possible. Okay, honorable MP,
00:18:59the session lasted six hours, five
00:19:02and a half hours continuously. We are talking
00:19:05about many questions, dozens of questions.
00:19:11What was the most prominent position that
00:19:14was perhaps remarkable? Yes,
00:19:18what was the most prominent question or set of questions that were perhaps remarkable
00:19:21and were posed to His Excellency the Minister of Energy?
00:19:25To be honest, some members of parliament
00:19:28somewhat accused him,
00:19:31so to speak, regarding the increase in
00:19:35petroleum derivatives prices. It could have been avoided
00:19:38by delaying, for example, the Baniyas refinery overhaul,
00:19:42for example. This was one of the accusations. His Excellency the Minister
00:19:45clarified this matter. The second issue is why there
00:19:49was no strategic reserve when
00:19:52petroleum derivative prices were somewhat
00:19:55acceptable. Why was there none? His Excellency
00:19:59the Minister answered with several answers, including
00:20:02that most warehouses were dilapidated.
00:20:05Regarding the Homs
00:20:10at first, there was some tension. We represent
00:20:14the pulse of the street, and we talked about a very important matter. We,
00:20:17as members of the People's Assembly, have one eye on the state
00:20:22the state and not the authority. We do not favor
00:20:26anyone. We play our role, but today we cannot
00:20:28destroy the state, destroy the gains of the revolution,
00:20:32and we know that we are in a critical situation. On the other hand, there are tired,
00:20:36afflicted people who need someone to listen. So,
00:20:40honestly, at first, there was some tension,
00:20:43some accusations of negligence, but when
00:20:46His Excellency the Minister explained
00:20:50the objective circumstances for this matter, the situation
00:20:53and the language of numbers prevailed, and this cloud
00:20:57dispersed. However, today, the People's Assembly has different ideas
00:21:00and projects. Some members insisted that there was negligence. Some
00:21:04members talked about the protests and demonstrations that took place. How
00:21:07did the Minister respond? Yes, we came out with a specific
00:21:10proposal, which is that
00:21:14when oil is priced,
00:21:16petroleum derivative prices again, will these
00:21:20protests be taken into account and acted
00:21:23upon? It was
00:21:26a very good question: Why is this vulnerable
00:21:30segment not always supported in petroleum
00:21:33derivative prices? Today, especially diesel,
00:21:37affects transportation, agriculture,
00:21:40livelihood issues, heating, and living. So
00:21:44why isn't there a strategic policy, at least
00:21:48during this period, until the transition to a
00:21:51free economy? Why aren't these vulnerable
00:21:54segments supported? His Excellency the Minister answered: We are ready, but we work
00:21:58as an integrated system. There is the Ministry of Labor and Social
00:22:01Affairs, and we are ready, but we are an economic ministry
00:22:05that deals with numbers. So when there is, for example, a directive to support
00:22:08or something, there was even
00:22:12the eastern region.
00:22:15matter, so the Minister replied that
00:22:19today, regarding petroleum derivatives, I sell
00:22:22them at their price, even though there is a subsidy
00:22:26of 31 Syrian pounds, but today the Ministry of Agriculture
00:22:29should, like in Turkey for example, today in Turkey, for example,
00:22:33petroleum derivatives are sold to farmers at the prevailing price, like
00:22:36other segments of society. However, the Ministry
00:22:39of Agriculture provides support.
00:22:42So this is the issue of the electricity
00:22:45tariff. Every cycle there is a subsidy,
00:22:48of course, the Minister said. Today, the first 150 kilowatt-hours
00:22:52are $4.5, meaning approximately $6 or $7
00:22:56per month. So we discussed that 150 kilowatt-hours per month
00:23:00is not enough for the average family. It needs approximately 250 to
00:23:03300, and the issue of electricity subsidy, honestly,
00:23:06resulted in practical
00:23:09outcomes in this regard. Two things: the first
00:23:12is that we wished that the tariff, we know the reality of electricity
00:23:16and the dilapidated infrastructure, and the state treasury, but
00:23:20the issue of the first tariff, one of the proposals
00:23:24or questions or wishes or whatever
00:23:27you call it, is that the first tariff for vulnerable
00:23:31and poor groups could have more support in kilowatt-hours or a reduction
00:23:34in price. The second issue is adopting a policy that takes into account
00:23:38these needy segments. Well,
00:23:40specifically on these points, because you know, and you are the head
00:23:44of the Energy Committee in the People's Assembly, Professor Iqbal, the Ministry
00:23:47of Energy is the result of merging the water
00:23:50and oil ministries previously,
00:23:54as well as electricity. We talked about the problem of derivatives
00:23:57and price increases, but what about dams?
00:24:01And you mentioned that you asked questions in this context. There was a problem with the rising water level
00:24:05of the Euphrates River. Yes, what were the questions you asked in this context, and the answers
00:24:08as well? And regarding electricity, will the prices of the fixed
00:24:12bills be reconsidered? And you also know
00:24:16that there were perhaps
00:24:18some public inquiries regarding these
00:24:22prices, which are considered high compared to the monthly
00:24:26income of Syrian citizens? Honestly, regarding the prices of subsidized
00:24:29electricity tariffs, the minister did not give a firm
00:24:32promise regarding this matter. Regarding dams, we
00:24:36honestly talked about the hot topic, which was petroleum derivatives.
00:24:39So the issue of water and dams was not strongly
00:24:43present, but we talked about the issue of dams and the necessity
00:24:46of creating new dams, especially since
00:24:5090% of the Euphrates River water goes to
00:24:53waste. This is one of the problems, in addition
00:24:56to the necessity of irrigating many plains. For example,
00:25:00in Azaz, there are 90,000 hectares. If water is brought, for example,
00:25:03from the Euphrates River, there would be a valuable benefit.
00:25:07We talked about these strategic matters. Of course,
00:25:10I missed a point I want to mention regarding the Homs and Baniyas refineries.
00:25:14We talked about strategic matters and emphasized the necessity
00:25:17of establishing refineries, perhaps of medium or
00:25:20small size, 20-25 thousand barrels daily, to be, for example, in the eastern
00:25:26unemployment and employ the people of the region, and save today
00:25:29transportation costs. Today, crude oil, for example, comes from Deir ez-Zor, goes to
00:25:33Homs to be refined, then returns. So this matter
00:25:36is necessary. His Excellency the Minister mentioned that after a period, the Homs
00:25:39refinery will be moved to Furqlus, and there will hopefully be a refinery
00:25:43in the Aleppo countryside and a refinery in Deir
00:25:45ez-Zor. I want to mention this publicly because it
00:25:49was an important piece of news and a strategic thing for
00:25:53energy security in Syria. Okay,
00:25:56honorable member of parliament, and we are talking
00:26:00about something beyond the energy file, the issue
00:26:03of seawater desalination
00:26:07water. As you know, the water situation in Syria
00:26:11was quite good
00:26:15last year, but the years
00:26:18before it were bad. Today, what are
00:26:21the solutions from the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry
00:26:25of Water and other ministries concerned with water resources
00:26:28to improve the water situation in Syria?
00:26:31We mentioned that there is a plan to build
00:26:35and rehabilitate dams. We mentioned regarding the issue
00:26:39of water extraction. Honestly,
00:26:42the Minister spoke about an ambitious plan,
00:26:45which is to bring water from
00:26:47the coast to the southern region to
00:26:51supply Damascus, Quneitra, Sweida, and Daraa, but
00:26:55it is a project worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This is
00:26:58one of the reasons, because the water situation, especially in southern Syria,
00:27:02is bad. We talked about
00:27:04controlling unregistered wells that led
00:27:08to a decrease in the groundwater level,
00:27:13on water legislation. It must be It has strict laws
00:27:16in these matters, in addition to the issue of dams
00:27:20and their improper construction, for example, affects
00:27:23the course of the river. We talked about the issue of
00:27:27the Tigris River, the Tigris River, approximately 50 or 60 kilometers pass through Syrian territory.
00:27:30There is no Khabur River, it has
00:27:34dried up. Connecting these matters
00:27:38is important. We talked about the issue of smart water meters.
00:27:42This is a very
00:27:45rationalization and contributes
00:27:48waste. Smart
00:27:51electricity and water meters have now been implemented
00:27:54in some examples in the governorates of Damascus and Idlib as a first plan,
00:27:58and God willing, next year, it will be implemented in all
00:28:02Syrian governorates. One of the ways is to install
00:28:04meters and digital control, which we talked about,
00:28:08to control quantities and prevent corruption
00:28:11and encroachment. After this session, what do you say to the Syrians, Mr.
00:28:14MP? I say to the Syrians that we are in a state
00:28:18frankly, I want to speak directly. Today,
00:28:22opinions differ. Some people say that the People's Assembly
00:28:25is only for listening. We told them about this constitutional declaration that stipulated
00:28:29it. But today, a hearing session with 130 questions. Five
00:28:34is no veto. So, God willing, this will consolidate the state of institutions.
00:28:37We, as a legislative authority, integrate with
00:28:41the executive authority
00:28:44so that the wheel of the state turns smoothly. We appreciate
00:28:47the reality, but at the same time, we are committed to conveying
00:28:51the concerns of the people. We meet with the protesters, we try
00:28:54to explain the situation to them and reassure them.
00:28:56But in countries that have had revolutions and transitioned,
00:29:00for example, from the Bolshevik system,
00:29:03the socialist communist system, to, for example,
00:29:06the free system, they went through such as Estonia,
00:29:09Poland, the experience of Peru and others. They went
00:29:13through such circumstances, and we, too, God willing, after
00:29:16patience and accountability, God willing,
00:29:20things will move towards positivity, God willing.
00:29:23Thank you very much, Engineer Otman Muhammad Mansour, member of the People's Assembly
00:29:27and head of the Energy Committee in the People's Assembly. You were our
00:29:30dear guest here in the studio. Thank you very much. You are welcome.
00:29:48SAM's team launched the major "Bridges of Medical Recovery" campaign
00:29:52in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, with the participation of doctors and volunteers
00:29:56from several countries. The campaign aims to provide specialized
00:29:59medical services and support local cadres within
00:30:03a tour that includes a number of governorates. It is expected that more
00:30:06than 800 people
00:30:09will benefit from it.
00:30:17It needs Syria. We just received
00:30:19the campaign of the SAM's organization,
00:30:22"Bridges of Recovery," which is the 15th campaign to reach
00:30:26Syria. The campaign included a group of doctors
00:30:29from America and Australia, and there are also some nationalities
00:30:33from Switzerland and Italy, in addition to a large
00:30:38within the country.
00:30:41So this campaign is a campaign we called "Bridges of Recovery." We took the name from the Euphrates
00:30:44Bridge in Deir ez-Zor. We are very happy to officially launch
00:30:48the campaign from here in Deir ez-Zor, the city of glory, the city of dignity,
00:30:51the city, mashallah, full of blessings. So we are starting
00:30:55the campaign from here in several Syrian governorates. We, God willing, will have
00:30:58visits to six governorates.