Branches in Every Province
The minister of economy and industry, Nidal al-Shaar, has issued a decision to establish branches of the General Authority for Precious Metals Management in all of Syria's governorates. The decision was announced on 22 June 2026 and aims to regulate the sector, tighten oversight, and improve services to the public.
Each governorate will host a branch, with branch directors appointed by the minister on the recommendation of the authority's director general. The authority remains responsible for ensuring the branches operate properly and carry out their mandate across the provinces where they are established.
Licensing and Hallmarking
The branches will carry the authority's core mandate at the local level. That includes issuing licenses for businesses that produce and trade precious metals, inspecting and hallmarking metals, and supervising jewelry workshops.
Moving these functions into every province is intended to bring consistent standards to a trade that has long operated through local associations, and to place day-to-day supervision closer to where gold is bought and sold. Licenses, inspection, and hallmarking will all run through the new provincial offices.
Associations Brought Under Supervision
Under the decision, goldsmiths' associations will act as representative bodies for their members while falling under the direct supervision of each provincial branch.
Permanent staff currently employed by the associations will transfer to the corresponding authority branches, keeping their wages, seniority, and legal protections. The arrangement folds existing association personnel into the state body without altering their employment terms, an approach meant to avoid disruption to those already working in the trade.
A Year-Old Authority
The General Authority for Precious Metals Management was created on 12 February 2025 to develop the gold and precious metals sector and strengthen its role in the national economy. The new branch network extends that body's reach from the capital into the provinces, a little over a year after it was set up.