Syria and the World Bank Group agreed on October 18 to establish the Syria Trust for Recovery and Reconstruction (START), a multi-donor fund aimed at providing concessional financing, investment guarantees, technical support, and capacity building to support the Syrian state's efforts in achieving economic recovery, enhancing sustainable development, and attracting private investments.
Economic planning specialist Mohannad Al-Zanbaraji clarified that the fund coordinates contributions from donor countries and entities to direct them toward integrated projects, helping to identify needs according to their priorities and avoid duplication of spending. He stressed that the fund's efforts must be based on a clear national plan grounded in a realistic assessment of damages, linking each project to measurable economic objectives.
Al-Zanbaraji pointed out that rehabilitating basic services such as electricity, water, health, and transport is a priority due to their direct link to citizens' lives, emphasizing the importance of directing financing toward productive sectors like industry and agriculture, which would stimulate related sectors and boost demand. He also viewed the fund as a catalyst for local and foreign investments by improving the institutional environment and reducing project risks.
For his part, economic analyst Muhammad Hindawi confirmed that establishing the fund represents a pivotal step toward supporting recovery, noting that it provides an institutional framework to coordinate support and enhance the role of the private sector. He explained that the fund's success is measured by the volume of actual financing and its ability to convert commitments into tangible projects that improve citizens' lives, adding that turning plans into results requires sound planning and gradual implementation according to transparency standards.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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