Syria’s Islamist rulers overhaul economy with firings, privatization of state firms


People wait at a government building in Damascus suburb, Syria January 8, 2025.REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria's new Islamist leaders are undertaking a radical overhaul of the country's broken economy, including plans to fire a third of all public sector workers and privatising state-run companies dominant during half a century of Assad family rule.

The pace of the declared crackdown on waste and corruption, which has already seen the first layoffs just weeks after rebels toppled Assad on Dec. 8, has triggered protests from government workers, including over fears of a sectarian jobs purge.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

WTO chief: world order has irrevocably changed
Cambodian Trump deportee becomes second to be released by Eswatini, lawyers say
Cuban doctors endure burnout, blackouts as once-vaunted healthcare declines
Pakistan continuing military operations against Afghanistan, Pakistan foreign ministry says
Somalia's tuk-tuks stall as Iran war drives fuel price spike
Pentagon weighs diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East, Washington Post reports
Former Taipei mayor sentenced to 17 years in corruption case
Address root causes of Middle East conflict, Malaysia says at UNHCR meet
Area near one of Russia's biggest oil refineries damaged by Ukrainian drones, official says
Bus falls into river while boarding ferry in Bangladesh, leaving 24 dead

Others Also Read