Damascus, Jan.20 (SANA) Syrian Finance Minister Mohamed Yisr Barnieh held three separate virtual workshops with technical teams from the World Bank Group last week to discuss key public finance and financial sector reforms, the minister said on Tuesday on his Facebook page.
Barnieh said the first workshop focused on reforming state-owned enterprises, including proposals to amend the legal framework to grant them greater financial and administrative autonomy while strengthening accountability and governance.
Discussions included a proposal to convert all government-owned companies into public joint-stock companies fully owned by the state at the outset, with independent boards, strict governance rules and audited financial reporting.
The second workshop addressed reforming Syria’s pension and social insurance systems, with Barnieh noting the need for deep structural changes and possible integration of the two institutions to ensure financial sustainability. He said the World Bank agreed to provide technical assistance to assess their current conditions.
The third workshop examined the state of mortgage finance in Syria, focusing on improving regulatory and institutional frameworks, expanding access to housing finance, protecting consumers and aligning mortgage policies with social and sustainability goals.
Barnieh stressed that work on the three files cannot be delayed, adding that the meetings come as part of broader engagement with World Bank institutions to support financial sector reform and private sector development in Syria.
R.K
