By Norman al-Abbas
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – As Syria’s new administration plans a 400 percent salary increase for public sector workers, concerns grow over the capacity of the country’s ATMs to handle the surge in withdrawals.
Citizens already face long lines, technical failures, and power outages, sparking calls for urgent reforms and alternative solutions.
The new Syrian government plans to raise public sector salaries by 400 percent after completing the necessary procedures, pledging regular payments.
It is expected that the current salary, equivalent to about $25, will increase to $125, approximately 1,500,000 Syrian pounds.
This shift raises questions about the ATMs’ ability to handle such a significant increase and what alternative solutions could be implemented to ease the burden on citizens.
ATM crisis
Halwa al-Husni, a former employee, told North Press that the issue could be resolved by assigning specific days for salary withdrawals for each age group to reduce ATM overcrowding.
She noted that the large gatherings and congestion at the same time would create numerous problems, especially given that ATMs sometimes lack sufficient funds.
Meanwhile, Eyad Qasim al-Duwairi, an employee at Damascus Airport, expressed his frustration over the overcrowding, technical failures of ATMs, and power outages.
“We spend daily transportation costs of up to 30,000 Syrian pounds just to collect a salary of 200,000 pounds,” al-Duwairi told North Press.
He added that out of nine ATMs, only one was functional in the al-Muhafaza Square area of Damascus, urging the need to procure modern ATMs or integrate them with private-sector machines.
Adel al-Arash, a retired telecommunications employee, highlighted that ATM struggles have become a common plight for all employees, whether retired or active.
He expressed his frustration, saying, “We’ve reached a point where we do not even want our salaries due to the congestion and the hours of waiting, especially for employees who come from distant areas.”
Al-Arash urged the new government to find quick solutions to alleviate this suffering.
Earlier in January, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Aba Zaid told North Press that the government plans to raise public sector salaries by 400 percent after completing administrative restructuring within ministries to improve efficiency and accountability.
He explained that this increase is part of the ministry restructuring initiated since the regime’s fall, where administrative inefficiencies were discovered. The workforce will be re-evaluated to focus on efficient personnel eligible for the planned salary increase.
Monthly punishment
Ghassan Ibrahim, a professor at the Faculty of Economics in Damascus, told North Press that “ATMs are insufficient to meet citizens’ needs, whether before or after the salary increase, leading to a dire situation regarding citizens’ ability to receive their monthly salaries.”
He added that acquiring new ATMs before the salary increase would be nearly impossible due to the current economic conditions and imposed sanctions, which could take three to six months to procure.
Ibrahim suggested relying on accountants for direct salary distribution, pointing out that every institution already has accountants, making this solution feasible temporarily to “preserve employee dignity,” as he put it.
He described the process of obtaining salaries via ATMs as a “monthly punishment for employees.”
Ibrahim also proposed that the government employ economics graduates, particularly from the accounting field, to fill the gap in accounting personnel. He suggested holding a recruitment competition to provide jobs for unemployed graduates.
The Finance Minister also noted during his interview with North Press that salaries would soon be distributed via the “Sham Cash” app, claiming it is user-friendly.
However, experts argue that this option is currently unsuitable since the app supports transactions in Turkish lira and dollars only, while Syrian employees are paid in Syrian pounds.
This issue is compounded by technical problems related to the internet, electricity, and weak infrastructure, which could exacerbate the situation.
The Minister reassured employees during the interview that there would be no arbitrary dismissals, noting that a judicial committee is reviewing the case of private-sector retired military personnel to determine when their pensions will be disbursed.
The cost of the salary increase is estimated at 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds (about $127 million at the current exchange rate) and will be financed through the current state treasury, regional aid, new investments, and efforts to unfreeze Syrian assets abroad, according to Reuters.
Syria has suffered an economic crisis in recent years due to conflict and Western sanctions.