Governor rebuts viral claim
The governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdel Qader al-Husriya, on Wednesday 22 April 2026 denied reports circulating on social media that foreign remittances would henceforth be paid only in Syrian pounds (SYP) at a fixed official rate. The central bank's press office called the notice "entirely untrue" and said no circular or decision of that kind had been issued.
What the rumor said
Notices attributed to individual money-transfer companies had spread on Tuesday 21 April 2026, claiming that, starting Wednesday, remittances from abroad would be handed to recipients in Syrian pounds at a mandatory conversion rate rather than in US dollars (USD) or other foreign currency.
The rumor drew public alarm because of the wide gap between the central bank's posted rate and the street rate, meaning a forced conversion would have imposed a sizable loss on households that rely on transfers from relatives overseas.
Official rate versus street rate
According to the central bank bulletin cited in the denial, the official buy rate stands at 11,000 SYP and the sell rate at 11,100 SYP per US dollar on the legacy note series, equivalent to 110 and 111 on the new-issue notes. Exchange offices and informal dealers have been quoting rates well above that level.
Why the clarification matters
Remittances are one of the largest reliable inflows of hard currency into the economy, and any mandatory conversion rule would shift losses to recipients while funneling dollars through the central bank. The governor's statement signals that the bank is not moving in that direction.
Growing exchange sector
Syria's exchange sector has expanded noticeably over the past year, with new firms entering the market alongside longstanding operators. The governor framed the viral notice as the kind of misinformation that erodes public trust in official channels during a period of currency volatility.