Assad’s Puppet Government Approves the Budget for 2014

Press Statement

Syrian Coalition

Istanbul, Turkey

October 26, 2013

In a desperate attempt to fool the people of Syria, the Assad regime will adopt the sham budget for the year 2014. There was public outcry over the viability of Assad’s economic plan as his war ravages the will of the Syrian people.

For five decades, the Assad regime (both father and son) have failed to carry out any serious development plans of Syria. They have never adhered to approved budgets, but only act to serve the interests of the ruling clique.

The 2014 budget was approved with a decrease of $5.5 billion compared to the 2013 year budget. The deficit is 56% of the GDP thus far. Wastage ratio and the percentage of corruption reached 40% and 30% of the GDP consecutively.The losses of tax evasion and other illegal economic practices deployed by those protected by Assad, amount to 1.2 trillion Syrian pounds.

Nearly $295 million of this year's budget is earmarked for reconstruction, which is only 0.3% of the estimated cost for rebuilding what Assad’s forces have destroyed across Syria.

The Assad regime continues to use public funds to bankroll its genocie against the Syrian people. It continues to lower the rate of the per capita food supply and raise the prices of fuel, basic goods, and services. The average per capita income is continuously declining and so is the purchasing power of the Syrian pound, as inflation hits a record high. All of that is the result of Assad’s harnessing state resources to serve his bloody frenzied war against the Syrian people.

The Syrian Coalition demands the stolen money of the Syrian people be returned and their properties rebuilt and replaced. The Syrian Coalition will spare no effort to make sure corrupt thieves and murderers face justices in fair trials. Syria will be rebuilt by its children using the very resources, that were previously stolen, from the country. The Syrian people will get to choose their own government; a government that answers to them and not to the ruling clique.