The Syrian Center for Policy Research, in collaboration with the “Aleppo Capital of Islamic Culture Forum,” organized a discussion session on Sustainable Economic Growth and Equitable Distribution, featuring a lecture by SCPR researcher Rabie Nasser.
Held on 22 May 2026, the session explored current economic policies through a political economy lens, examining their relationship to power, governance, and social justice. The discussion focused on diagnosing existing structural imbalances while proposing alternative approaches grounded in the principles of the social and solidarity economy.
Main Themes of the Session
Scale of Losses and Policies of Development Dismantling The researcher explained that SCPR estimates Syria’s economic losses over the past fifteen years at nearly one trillion US dollars, including a severe human capital loss equivalent to 45 million lost years of schooling. Current policies were described as “development dismantling policies,” warning against abandoning the developmental role of the state in public investment under the pretext of creating space for the private sector. Such an approach was considered particularly irrational in post-conflict settings that require investment in sectors with limited immediate profitability but high social value.
Rent-Seeking Economy and Extreme Inequality The speaker warned against the fragmentation of public finances through multiple parallel channels and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the “sovereign fund.” He also highlighted systematic wage disparities and a tax structure that relies approximately 90 per cent on indirect taxation, thereby placing disproportionate burdens on poorer populations.
Exchange Rate Collapse and Faulty Trade Policies The lecture criticized policies contributing to exchange rate deterioration and the widening trade deficit, emphasizing that an economy cannot sustainably function when exports amount to only 10 per cent of imports. The speaker also condemned the misuse of resources toward luxury consumption, citing the celebration of importing luxury vehicles worth USD 5 billion while the country urgently requires resources for reconstruction. He stressed that economics is fundamentally about choices and priorities, particularly regarding sectors such as education and healthcare.
Alternative and Solidarity Economy A substantial portion of the session focused on the concept of an “alternative economy.” The researcher emphasized that profit is a legitimate objective, but not the sole purpose of economic activity. For a country emerging from conflict, Syria’s immediate priority should be employment generation and rebuilding social solidarity before pursuing absolute economic growth that may deepen divisions or empower war economies. Several practical models and mechanisms of solidarity economy were presented:
- Local Cooperatives (A Solidarity Vision for Aleppo): A model inspired by experiences in Spain and Latin America was proposed through the establishment of an “Aleppo Cooperative,” where thousands of citizens would contribute financially and technically to the reconstruction of their city. The model aims to retain profits and returns within the local economy to support public infrastructure and social services, rather than outsourcing reconstruction to external companies whose profits leave the country.
- Cross-Sectoral Non-Profit Initiatives: The speaker referred to food sovereignty models that directly connect farmers with consumers, citing the example of Al-Tall city, where a local development council reinvested revenues into schools and essential services such as water infrastructure. This reportedly contributed to restoring public trust and encouraged wealthier families to return their children to community-supported public schools.
- Protection of Informal Workers (The Indian Experience): The Indian experience was presented as an example of organizing informal labor, where women workers established a milk production association involving one million women. This enabled them to negotiate fairer working conditions, secure social protection for themselves and their children, and pressure private sector actors to improve labor standards.
- Role of Civil Society: The speaker argued that in the absence of effective state-led social protection policies or credible poverty assessments, civil society organizations should take the initiative in conducting surveys and building grassroots developmental alternatives.
Audience Interventions and Discussions
The session witnessed extensive engagement from participants, who raised several critical issues:
Weakening the National Currency through State Institutions Participants criticized state-affiliated border crossings and customs authorities for pricing and collecting fees and fines in US dollars. They argued that refusing to accept the Syrian pound at border points directly contributes to undermining the national currency, emphasizing that sovereign states do not normally treat their currencies in this manner.
Destruction of the Agricultural Sector (The Wheat Crisis) The removal of wheat subsidies emerged as a central concern among participants, who described the decision as a devastating blow to Syrian farmers and the national economy. They argued that the state’s withdrawal from supporting agriculture transformed Syria from a wheat-producing country into a wheat importer, relying on imports from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, or Egypt. Participants maintained that borrowing to support domestic agriculture would have been preferable to importing wheat using foreign currency reserves.
Social Fragmentation and the “Demonization of Poverty” Participants from Aleppo highlighted the profound social divisions affecting the city, particularly between eastern and western neighborhoods. They criticized public discourse that portrays street vendors and beggars as “criminal gangs” rather than acknowledging the scale of deprivation. Speakers also pointed to growing social indifference and the commodification of public services, whereby service improvements increasingly depend on residents’ ability to pay.
Lack of Transparency, Weak Digital Infrastructure, and Marginalization of Experts
Participants criticized the lack of reliable data and statistics, as well as the absence of adequate digital infrastructure, arguing that planning processes have become arbitrary . Concerns were raised regarding the authorities’ inability to produce a transparent public budget for 2026 detailing expenditures and revenues, thereby creating fertile ground for corruption. Participants also condemned the exclusion of experts and specialists from major policy decisions, questioning why Syrian researchers and academics were sidelined in favor of populist approaches.
From Awareness to Implementation Civil society representatives emphasized the need to move beyond public awareness initiatives toward practical implementation. They called on research centers to provide operational and step-by-step models for alternative economic approaches, such as cooperative systems, beginning from the establishment phase through to long-term sustainability and outcomes, so that communities can take ownership of their own developmental alternatives.
Conclusion
The session concluded with a strong emphasis that economic reform and developmental alternatives are not granted as concessions but must be secured through participation, advocacy, and collective action, particularly when prevailing state orientations do not prioritize the construction of a genuine developmental state. Several strategic and operational conclusions emerged:
- Governance as a Precondition for Sustainable Growth: Participants agreed that sustainable growth cannot exist without governance, transparency, and accountability. Continuing privatization and investment initiatives without these foundations’ risks entrenching forms of “crony capitalism” that benefit narrow elites while discouraging genuine investment.
- A Social Contract for Every Project: The forum stressed the importance of linking all projects—whether public, private, or civil society-led—to a clear social contract that protects citizens’ rights and promotes the public good. Reconstruction, participants argued, cannot succeed within a fragmented society lacking social solidarity and local participation.
- Immediate Change through Existing Resources: The discussion emphasized that practical solutions are achievable with existing resources, provided sufficient political will exists. Participants argued that current revenues could support investment laws serving society rather than elites, and enable the establishment of a fairer and more progressive taxation system without waiting for external financial interventions.
The Role of Active Citizenship and Transparent Information: Final recommendations highlighted the need to foster an environment centered on active citizenship and independent media supported by transparent information and statistics, as a means of countering opaque governance practices and preventing corruption generated by contradictory or inaccessible data.
Categories: Event, Past Event
Sustainable Economic Growth and Equitable Distribution
Syria – Aleppo – 22 May 2025
The Syrian Center for Policy Research, in collaboration with the “Aleppo Capital of Islamic Culture Forum,” organized a discussion session on Sustainable Economic Growth and Equitable Distribution, featuring a lecture by SCPR researcher Rabie Nasser.
Held on 22 May 2026, the session explored current economic policies through a political economy lens, examining their relationship to power, governance, and social justice. The discussion focused on diagnosing existing structural imbalances while proposing alternative approaches grounded in the principles of the social and solidarity economy.
Main Themes of the Session
Scale of Losses and Policies of Development Dismantling The researcher explained that SCPR estimates Syria’s economic losses over the past fifteen years at nearly one trillion US dollars, including a severe human capital loss equivalent to 45 million lost years of schooling. Current policies were described as “development dismantling policies,” warning against abandoning the developmental role of the state in public investment under the pretext of creating space for the private sector. Such an approach was considered particularly irrational in post-conflict settings that require investment in sectors with limited immediate profitability but high social value.
Rent-Seeking Economy and Extreme Inequality The speaker warned against the fragmentation of public finances through multiple parallel channels and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the “sovereign fund.” He also highlighted systematic wage disparities and a tax structure that relies approximately 90 per cent on indirect taxation, thereby placing disproportionate burdens on poorer populations.
Exchange Rate Collapse and Faulty Trade Policies The lecture criticized policies contributing to exchange rate deterioration and the widening trade deficit, emphasizing that an economy cannot sustainably function when exports amount to only 10 per cent of imports. The speaker also condemned the misuse of resources toward luxury consumption, citing the celebration of importing luxury vehicles worth USD 5 billion while the country urgently requires resources for reconstruction. He stressed that economics is fundamentally about choices and priorities, particularly regarding sectors such as education and healthcare.
Alternative and Solidarity Economy A substantial portion of the session focused on the concept of an “alternative economy.” The researcher emphasized that profit is a legitimate objective, but not the sole purpose of economic activity. For a country emerging from conflict, Syria’s immediate priority should be employment generation and rebuilding social solidarity before pursuing absolute economic growth that may deepen divisions or empower war economies. Several practical models and mechanisms of solidarity economy were presented:
- Local Cooperatives (A Solidarity Vision for Aleppo): A model inspired by experiences in Spain and Latin America was proposed through the establishment of an “Aleppo Cooperative,” where thousands of citizens would contribute financially and technically to the reconstruction of their city. The model aims to retain profits and returns within the local economy to support public infrastructure and social services, rather than outsourcing reconstruction to external companies whose profits leave the country.
- Cross-Sectoral Non-Profit Initiatives: The speaker referred to food sovereignty models that directly connect farmers with consumers, citing the example of Al-Tall city, where a local development council reinvested revenues into schools and essential services such as water infrastructure. This reportedly contributed to restoring public trust and encouraged wealthier families to return their children to community-supported public schools.
- Protection of Informal Workers (The Indian Experience): The Indian experience was presented as an example of organizing informal labor, where women workers established a milk production association involving one million women. This enabled them to negotiate fairer working conditions, secure social protection for themselves and their children, and pressure private sector actors to improve labor standards.
- Role of Civil Society: The speaker argued that in the absence of effective state-led social protection policies or credible poverty assessments, civil society organizations should take the initiative in conducting surveys and building grassroots developmental alternatives.
Audience Interventions and Discussions
The session witnessed extensive engagement from participants, who raised several critical issues:
Weakening the National Currency through State Institutions Participants criticized state-affiliated border crossings and customs authorities for pricing and collecting fees and fines in US dollars. They argued that refusing to accept the Syrian pound at border points directly contributes to undermining the national currency, emphasizing that sovereign states do not normally treat their currencies in this manner.
Destruction of the Agricultural Sector (The Wheat Crisis) The removal of wheat subsidies emerged as a central concern among participants, who described the decision as a devastating blow to Syrian farmers and the national economy. They argued that the state’s withdrawal from supporting agriculture transformed Syria from a wheat-producing country into a wheat importer, relying on imports from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, or Egypt. Participants maintained that borrowing to support domestic agriculture would have been preferable to importing wheat using foreign currency reserves.
Social Fragmentation and the “Demonization of Poverty” Participants from Aleppo highlighted the profound social divisions affecting the city, particularly between eastern and western neighborhoods. They criticized public discourse that portrays street vendors and beggars as “criminal gangs” rather than acknowledging the scale of deprivation. Speakers also pointed to growing social indifference and the commodification of public services, whereby service improvements increasingly depend on residents’ ability to pay.
Lack of Transparency, Weak Digital Infrastructure, and Marginalization of Experts
Participants criticized the lack of reliable data and statistics, as well as the absence of adequate digital infrastructure, arguing that planning processes have become arbitrary. Concerns were raised regarding the authorities’ inability to produce a transparent public budget for 2026 detailing expenditures and revenues, thereby creating fertile ground for corruption. Participants also condemned the exclusion of experts and specialists from major policy decisions, questioning why Syrian researchers and academics were sidelined in favor of populist approaches.
From Awareness to Implementation Civil society representatives emphasized the need to move beyond public awareness initiatives toward practical implementation. They called on research centers to provide operational and step-by-step models for alternative economic approaches, such as cooperative systems, beginning from the establishment phase through to long-term sustainability and outcomes, so that communities can take ownership of their own developmental alternatives.
Conclusion
The session concluded with a strong emphasis that economic reform and developmental alternatives are not granted as concessions but must be secured through participation, advocacy, and collective action, particularly when prevailing state orientations do not prioritize the construction of a genuine developmental state. Several strategic and operational conclusions emerged:
- Governance as a Precondition for Sustainable Growth: Participants agreed that sustainable growth cannot exist without governance, transparency, and accountability. Continuing privatization and investment initiatives without these foundations’ risks entrenching forms of “crony capitalism” that benefit narrow elites while discouraging genuine investment.
- A Social Contract for Every Project: The forum stressed the importance of linking all projects—whether public, private, or civil society-led—to a clear social contract that protects citizens’ rights and promotes the public good. Reconstruction, participants argued, cannot succeed within a fragmented society lacking social solidarity and local participation.
- Immediate Change through Existing Resources: The discussion emphasized that practical solutions are achievable with existing resources, provided sufficient political will exists. Participants argued that current revenues could support investment laws serving society rather than elites, and enable the establishment of a fairer and more progressive taxation system without waiting for external financial interventions.
The Role of Active Citizenship and Transparent Information: Final recommendations highlighted the need to foster an environment centered on active citizenship and independent media supported by transparent information and statistics, as a means of countering opaque governance practices and preventing corruption generated by contradictory or inaccessible data.
