Most employees dismissed by the former regime in Aleppo face difficulties in returning to work after the government asked them to return. The most prominent of these difficulties is the low salaries, coupled with the high cost and unavailability of transportation.
Mohamed, an employee at the Ministry of Finance, was left in a state of confusion after being informed that he would return to his job at the Central Agency for Financial Control in Aleppo.
Muhammad, who lives in the northern Aleppo countryside, told Economy that the salary he received, according to the promises, does not exceed $120, stressing that "the value of the salary does not cover transportation costs, even if they are available."
"I informed them that I am willing to return to work, but only after Eid, in the hope that public transportation to Aleppo will be available," he added. "We certainly do not refuse to return to serve our country, but salaries are very low, and living expenses are heavy."
Like Muhammad, policeman Ali is still evading returning to his former workplace at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo. He told Eqtsad that he prefers to remain at the Al-Bab police station because transportation to the city is secure, unlike in Aleppo.
The Syrian caretaker government has asked all employees dismissed from the former regime to register to return to work, without yet revealing the number of employees returning.
However, given the low salaries, the demand for return appears minimal, and the majority of employees are awaiting wage increases and cheaper transportation.
Academic and economic researcher Yahya Al-Sayed Omar says, "The government needs the efforts of all members of society in the economic recovery process, so the return of employees to work supports these efforts."
He adds, "However, on the other hand, there are several obstacles to this process, the most important of which is the sharp decline in the level of government employee salaries, which currently do not exceed $40 per month. This income discourages return to work, and the cost of living is not commensurate with this income."
Mr. Omar points out that rural employees need a large portion of their salaries for transportation. He said, "These obstacles limit the effectiveness of this decision, and its implementation rate may be very low." He called for a review of the wage and salary structure to reflect actual costs on the ground.
While the Syrian government did not respond to Eqtsad's requests for comment, economic researcher Radwan al-Debs confirmed that dozens of employees who were asked to return have not yet returned to their jobs due to the high cost of transportation.
In an interview with Eqtsad, al-Debs pointed to the "limited state resources," saying, "The government suffers from weak revenues and a lack of liquidity, which means that improving wages will take a long time."
Regarding solutions, al-Debs believes it would be more appropriate to temporarily return employees to their jobs at their place of residence until wages are raised and transportation fares are reduced. He said, "Funds can also be allocated for transportation."
In this regard, Al-Dabbas praised the financial grant President Ahmed Al-Sharaa decided to disburse to state employees on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, saying, "These decisions may help prevent the state from losing employees."
By Mustafa Mohamed
EQTSAD
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