Damascus: Finance Minister Dr. Mohammad Yusr Barniyeh expressed his gratitude to the Qatari government for the generous grant to cover part of the current wage and salary bill, totaling $29 million per month for three months, subject to extension.

According to Syrian Arab News Agency, Minister Barniyeh explained in a statement that the grant will cover the salaries of workers in the health, education, and social affairs sectors, as well as non-military retirees. The Minister indicated that the grant was exempted from U.S. sanctions and thanked the U.S. Treasury Department for its swift response in facilitating the grant, hoping this would be followed by further steps to boost confidence and ease sanctions.

Minister Barniyeh further detailed that the grant will be managed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and will cover approximately one-fifth of the current wage and salary bill. He emphasized ongoing financial reforms aimed at enhancing integrity and confidence in the financial system.