Workshop in Damascus
Syria's Finance Ministry held a closed interactive workshop in Damascus on 10 August 2026 to examine a new national tax system, organizing the session in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The meeting was titled "Prospects of the New Tax System in Syria."
Alongside the ministry's own working team, participants included experts from the IMF, officials from the General Authority for Taxes and Fees, representatives of the business sector, and academics.
Laws Bound for Parliament
Finance Minister Mohammad Yisr Barnieh said the workshop focused on new tax laws that will be raised to the People's Assembly, the country's legislature. He described the meeting as one in a series of closed interactive workshops the ministry is running to discuss economic and financial matters, with a particular emphasis on reforms.
The stated aim of the new framework is to support broad-based development and to accelerate economic recovery, drawing on established international practice to build an efficient tax system.
Dialogue With Business
The minister said the session gave officials a chance to answer questions from the business community and to address problems that companies face in their tax and financial dealings. He characterized the discussion as frank, transparent, and highly interactive.
Representatives from across the economic sectors expressed willingness to cooperate with the ministry as the legislation is prepared, according to the minister's account of the meeting.
Role of the IMF
The participation of IMF experts marks another step in Syria's gradual re-engagement with international financial institutions after years of isolation. Technical cooperation of this kind is watched closely because it can shape how the state rebuilds public revenue and reconnects to global financial networks.
What Comes Next
The ministry did not announce a timetable for when the draft laws would reach the People's Assembly or when any new taxes might take effect. Officials framed the workshop as part of a continuing consultation with the private sector ahead of the legislation being finalized.