RIYADH: The Syrian government expects a leap of about 149 percent in its public revenues during 2026, driven mainly by oil and gas earnings, while the 2025 budget achieved the first surplus since 1990.
Syrian Minister of Finance Mohammed Yasser Barnieh said total public revenues are expected to rise to about $8.7 billion in 2026, with oil and gas constituting about 28 percent of that.
Revenues last year recorded $3.5 billion, an annual growth rate of 120.2 percent.
The minister pointed out that public spending is also expected to rise to about $10.5 billion in the 2026 budget, more than triple its 2025 level of $3.45 billion, an annual increase of 45.7 percent.
Despite this spending expansion, he explained that the 2025 budget achieved a small surplus of about 0.15 percent of the gross domestic product, the first surplus the country has witnessed since 1990.
