The budget of the Damascus Governorate, one of the wealthiest in the country, will stand at around SYP 25 billion this year.

The Damascus Governorate is geographically restricted to the Syrian capital, while all of the country’s thirteen other governorates include various cities and towns and are named after their largest city, which also stands as their capital. Hence, the governorate of Aleppo includes the city of Aleppo, its capital, and all of its surrounding area that comprises dozens of towns and villages.

According to Al-Watan, a local daily, the finance committee of the Damascus Governorate approved this year’s SYP 25 billion budget, although it has yet be certified by the newly-elected governorate’s council.

The committee also decided to impose a tax of 20 percent on all goods imported from Turkey and sold within the boundaries of the governorate. This tax, which was apparently already in place before the establishment of a free trade area between Turkey and Syria in 2007, will come on top of customs tariffs and other taxes and fees.

Finally, this year will also see the appointment of 1,500 new employees.