Governor of As-Suwayda Announces Measures to Facilitate Salary Payments via “Sham Cash” Service

Amid the ongoing economic crisis in Syria’s southern As-Suwayda province, Governor Mustafa Al-Bakkour announced new measures aimed at facilitating the payment of salaries for government employees through the “Sham Cash” electronic banking service.

Al-Bakkour stated that the initiative comes as part of ongoing efforts to ease the living hardships faced by employees, following recent events that disrupted salary disbursement cycles and weakened economic activity in the province.

The governor instructed heads of government departments to prepare detailed lists of employees’ full names along with the phone numbers linked to—or eligible for activation on—the “Sham Cash” platform, in preparation for directly transferring salaries to their digital accounts.

According to an official statement released on the governorate’s official channels, these lists will be submitted to the governor’s office to coordinate with relevant authorities and secure the necessary approvals.

The decision follows last week’s announcement approving the payment of more than one month’s salaries in several public institutions, including the General Organization for Insurance and Pensions, the Public Electricity Company, the Commercial Bank of Syria – Shahba Branch, the Agricultural Scientific Research Center, the Poultry Facility, and the Fuel Directorate.

At the time, Al-Bakkour reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring timely salary disbursements, emphasizing that regular payment of wages is a key factor in reinforcing professional and social stability across the province.

Earlier, the As-Suwayda governorate clarified that delays in submitting financial reports by certain directorates had disrupted salary payment procedures, compounded by interference from non-state armed groups and unauthorized actors, which limited the ability of government institutions to operate normally.

These disruptions, the statement added, have negatively impacted employees’ livelihoods and worsened their living conditions. The governorate stressed that continued interference in public institutions harms the collective interest and delays workers’ rightful dues.

These developments come as the political situation in As-Suwayda remains unresolved, with Damascus maintaining its position in line with the tripartite statement with the United States and Jordan, which reaffirms the province’s full integration within the Syrian state. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri continues to advocate what he calls the “right to self-determination.”

In July, the province witnessed violent clashes between armed Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, prompting security forces to intervene to halt the fighting and contain tensions.