Official Name:
Syrian Arab Republic.
Capital:
Damascus
Aria:
185.180 km2 (71.500sq. miles)
POPULATION: 18.866 millions ( 2002 census )
Climate:
A
pleasant and varied Mediterranean climate
with four distinct seasons.
Average Temperature:
32° C. (90° F) in Summer,
10° C. (50° F) in Winter and
22° C. (72° F) in Spring and Autumn.
Time Zone:
November through February: GMT +
2 Hours (Winter).
March through October: GMT + 3 hours.
(Summer).
Currency :
main :
syrian pound = 100 pennies
Paper :
5 sp , 10 sp , 25 sp , 50 sp , 100 sp ,
200sp , 500 sp , 1000sp.
Coin :
5sp , 10sp , 25sp ,
Electrical
Current:
220 Volts, 50 A.C.
Week End:
Friday and Saturday are the official
weekend.
Weights and
Meagures:
Metric system.
Travel Information Entry:
Formalities:A
valid passport with entry visa. Any amount
of foreign currency could be brought into
Syria. However, the sum of foreign currency
allowed out should not exceed the amount
brought in.
How to get there:Damascus,
the main gateway to Syria, Aleppo & Latakia
are connected with all continents by the
national carrier (Syrian air) and major
international airlines.
By land, Syria is connected by highways with
Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.
There are seaport facilities at Latakia and
Tartous.
Languages:The
official language is Arabic. Most Syrians
also speak another language, which most
often, is French or English.
Regular Work Hours :
Government : 8am-3.30pm
Stores: 9.00 to 13.30 and 16.00 to
20.00 (Winter) 17.00 to 21.00 (Summer)
Business : Summer 10 A.M- 2 P.M
And 4-9 P.M
Country Code :
+ 963
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
extractio.
*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.
