اخبار سوريا اليوم – وطن نيوز
سوريا اليوم – اخبار سوريا عاجل
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-07-07 22:05:00
The Syrian government reopened the infrastructure investment file through the announcement by the Director General of the General Corporation for Road Transport, Moaz Najjar, to update the economic feasibility studies for the “North-South” and “East-West” axes, in preparation for their implementation as toll roads according to the build, operate and transfer (BOT) system. The “North-South” axis extends from the Jordanian border in the south to the Turkish border in the north on a path located several kilometers east of the current road, while the “East-West” axis connects the port of Tartous to the Al-Tanf port on the Iraqi border. This comes at a time when the government is betting that these projects will reduce transportation costs, revive transit traffic, and support reconstruction, in light of limited public resources and the need to attract new investments. Economists believe that the success of this step is not only linked to the construction of roads, but also to the state’s ability to build an investment model that balances the interests of investors and citizens and ensures sustainable economic returns. A shift in the management of public assets. The trend towards toll roads represents a remarkable shift in the tools for financing infrastructure projects, as the government relies on partnership with the private sector instead of direct financing from the public treasury. Professor of Finance and Banking at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Hama, Dr. Abdul Rahman Muhammad, said, “This step represents a forced strategic shift towards a new financial engineering for managing public assets,” explaining that it reflects the government’s transition from managing the crisis to searching for sustainable financing tools. He added that the importance of the project is not limited to providing financing, but rather extends to improving the quality of infrastructure by obliging the investor to maintain the road throughout the duration of the contract, as well as applying the “user pays” principle, so that the cost of the service is borne by those who benefit from it directly, instead of being charged to all taxpayers. He believes that the project sends a positive message to investors that Syria is moving towards accepting partnership mechanisms with the private sector, which may open the door to new investments in other sectors. As for economic researcher Muhammad Al-Salloum, he believes that the international toll roads project, despite its recent introduction to the Syrian market, is not a new idea for the global economy, but rather represents one of the modern models in financing and managing infrastructure. He said that Syria, by virtue of its geographical location, has a rare opportunity to be a logistical node linking the Gulf, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and the Eastern Mediterranean, if it happens. Investing in this advantage in a professional manner. Speaking about the importance of the project, Al-Salloum confirmed to Enab Baladi that it is a “high-speed auxiliary channel” for transporting high-value goods and time-sensitive goods, such as medical and industrial products and dry containers, in addition to its role in providing alternative routes when some sea routes are exposed to congestion or danger. Why is the “BOT” the most realistic option? The announcement of the General Organization for Road Transport was accompanied by an emphasis on implementing the project according to the “BOT” system, which is an investment model that relies on private sector financing for the project in return. Operating it for a period of time before transferring its ownership to the state, Dr. Muhammad believes that this model is the most appropriate for the current Syrian reality, because the government suffers from limited liquidity and its inability to finance projects worth billions of dollars, while the system allows a large part of the construction and operation risks to be transferred to the investor, in addition to attracting technical and administrative expertise. However, he stressed that attracting investors requires providing a stable legal environment, starting with protecting contracts from legislative changes, through to providing international arbitration in the event of disputes, and ending with ensuring the freedom to transfer profits, and linking transit fees with mechanisms that protect them. Investor protection from fluctuations in inflation and the exchange rate. He said that providing sovereign guarantees for projects, and ensuring a minimum level of revenue in the early stages, may be crucial elements in attracting international companies. As for the researcher, Al-Salloum, he said that the build-operate-transfer (BOT) system is today one of the most realistic options for Syria, in light of the enormous needs for reconstruction and the restrictions facing the public finances. He added that relying on government funding alone will delay the implementation of infrastructure projects for many years, while this model allows attracting capital, expertise, and technology without burdening the public treasury. Large financial burdens, but Al-Salloum pointed out that the foreign investor does not only buy the idea of the project, but also its environment, and therefore the required guarantees are not limited to achieving profits, but rather start from security and political stability, clarity of legislation, the presence of a stable legal system and effective arbitration mechanisms, all the way to the freedom to transfer profits and the ability to predict economic policies in the long term. What are the paid methods? Tolled roads are roads implemented according to the build, operate and transfer of ownership (BOT) system, whereby a private company finances, constructs and operates the road for a specific period, in exchange for collecting transit fees from users, before its ownership and management is transferred to the state after the end of the feasibility study. The key to the project’s success is the establishment and operation of the road for a specific period of time during which it recovers its costs and achieves a return on revenues, before transferring its ownership and management to the state after the end of the feasibility study. The key to the project’s success is the establishment’s announcement of updating the economic feasibility studies The success of the project depends on the accuracy of the estimates before implementation, especially since the tolled roads are linked to the volume of traffic and the ability of users to pay the fees. Dr. Abdul Rahman Muhammad stressed that any feasibility study should not be limited to calculating construction costs, but rather include an analysis of the actual traffic, the willingness of users to pay the fees, and the expected demand that the new roads can generate. The study should also measure the broader economic impact, such as savings in fuel consumption, reducing travel times, reducing vehicle maintenance costs, and reducing accidents, and the impact of this on economic activity The type of vehicle and the distance traveled are taken into account, with a periodic review of fees, in addition to subjecting the project costs to independent scrutiny to ensure that they are not inflated. While Al-Salloum spoke about the importance of building economic feasibility studies on broader foundations than simply calculating the cost of constructing the road and the value of transit fees, the project, according to the researcher’s opinion, must be measured by its ability to stimulate the economic activity surrounding it, create logistical areas, dry ports, storage centers, and support services, in addition to its ability to attract regional transit traffic, reduce transportation costs, and stimulate investments in the areas through which it passes. Al-Salloum presented a vision for pricing transit fees based on a simple principle: “The cost of using the road should be less than the value of the time, risks, and costs it saves for its users.” He believes that flexible pricing, which takes into account the type of load, the distance traveled, and the nature of the goods transported, will be more capable of achieving a balance between the interests of investors and the interests of the national economy. What is the impact of the fees locally? With regard to the impact of connecting transportation networks with neighboring countries such as Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq on the local markets, the corporation confirmed that connecting these networks with high technical specifications will encourage traffic. Transit with neighboring countries contributes directly to reducing vehicle operating costs and reducing travel time, thus reducing the final cost of the product. However, imposing fees on international road use raises questions about their impact on citizens and the local transportation sector. Regarding the potential impact on local transportation, researcher Al-Salloum warns that poor design of the project may turn transit fees into an additional burden on the Syrian economy, but he added that this impact can be reduced if the current free roads are maintained and rehabilitated on an ongoing basis, and discounts and exemptions are granted. For national trucks that transport basic materials, agricultural products, and materials involved in the production process. He added that the real goal of toll roads should not be to collect fees from the Syrian citizen, but rather to attract transit trade, and transform the geographic location into a source of income, job opportunities, and foreign exchange flows. While Dr. Abdul Rahman Muhammad pointed out that the picture is not one-sided, as for transport companies, the modern road saves fuel, reduces breakdowns, and shortens the travel time, which may compensate for transit fees and increase the productivity of trucks, in return Those with limited income may bear a direct financial burden, because they will pay the fees in cash while operating savings will be realized later. It was suggested to mitigate this impact that maintaining the current free road as an alternative option, in addition to offering reduced subscriptions to regular transporters, and exempting ambulances, civil defense vehicles and some public transportation from the fees is an economic opportunity… but on conditions that the government is betting on that these roads will support internal trade, and connect Syria with Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey, thus enhancing transit traffic and reducing transportation costs. Dr. Muhammad believes that if the project is successful, its impact may be transformative in the coming years, as it will contribute to unifying the Syrian market, revitalizing trade between the governorates, and creating new economic corridors that include logistical centers, warehouses, and service stations, as well as providing thousands of job opportunities. The success of the first toll road project may also constitute a message of reassurance to foreign investors, and open the door to investments in airports, ports, and energy. As for the expected results during the next five to ten years, researcher Muhammad Al-Saloum believes that the success of these projects may provide Syria is once again on the regional transportation map, creating thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities, enhancing state revenues, and stimulating the establishment of new industrial and logistical zones, in addition to stimulating foreign trade and raising the attractiveness of the Syrian economy to investors. Challenges facing the project. Despite the optimism, the economist warned that the project faces complex challenges, most notably exchange rate fluctuations and inflation, and the erosion of investors’ returns that they may cause, in addition to the need for long-term security stability that ensures the continuation of transportation. He also pointed out that corruption and weak governance may lead to inflated costs or Loss of investor confidence, while the government may face social rejection if citizens consider toll roads a new burden without a tangible improvement in the level of service. Dr. Abdul Rahman Muhammad concludes that the success of the experiment will not be measured by the number of kilometers implemented, but rather by the government’s ability to manage a long-term partnership with the private sector, and build a social contract that guarantees the citizen a high-quality service in exchange for fair fees, while maintaining a free alternative. He believes that these projects may shape new features for the Syrian economy if managed efficiently, but they may also turn into a financial and political burden if they are absent. Governance and proper planning: Toll road projects may draw new features for the Syrian economy if they are managed efficiently, but they may also turn into a financial and political burden if governance and proper planning are absent. Dr. Abdul Rahman Muhammad, a university professor and economic expert, Al-Salloum believes that there are major challenges that may hinder the achievement of the expected results, most notably the persistence of some security risks, the weakness of the supporting infrastructure, and regional competition from alternative corridors, as well as the need for deep legislative and institutional reforms of the Damascus-Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor road Director General of the General Corporation for Road Transport, Moaz Najjar, said that there is a project to establish a second branch of the international road extending between Damascus, Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor. He pointed out that the current road is a free road available to everyone, including citizens and economic activities, in addition to transit traffic. As for the second branch of the international road between Damascus and Deir ez-Zor, it will contribute to reducing the costs of transporting raw materials, supporting reconstruction projects, and creating direct job opportunities for the people of the eastern regions, according to what Najjar said in an interview with the “Syrian News” channel, on March 3. July – Najjar explained that the axis connects Damascus to the eastern regions, which are rich in oil, mineral, and agricultural resources, which accelerates the movement of internal trade. It also contributes to reducing the costs of transporting raw materials, supporting reconstruction projects, and creating direct job opportunities for the people of the eastern regions, as well as facilitating access to basic services, encouraging population stability, and paving the way for the establishment of new industrial and development areas along the route. Economic researcher Muhammad Al-Salloum considered that this project is no less important than the toll roads themselves It is an important economic reservoir for Syria, given its agricultural, oil and mineral resources. It will also be at the heart of reconstruction projects in the coming years. From this standpoint, the establishment of a second branch of the international road will contribute to reducing the costs of transporting raw materials, relieving pressure on the existing road, accelerating the movement of goods and investments, and creating direct and indirect job opportunities for the people of the region. “Not only will you have built new roads, but you will have laid the foundation for a new economy based on investing in geography and turning it into a sustainable source of growth, income, and job opportunities, which is a historic opportunity that may not be repeated often.” Establishing a second branch of the international road extending between Damascus, Palmyra, and Deir ez-Zor will contribute to reducing the costs of transporting raw materials, relieving pressure on the existing road, accelerating the movement of goods and investments, and creating direct and indirect job opportunities for the people of the region. Muhammad Al-Salloum, Economic Researcher Related
