Al-Halqi: Government is moving ahead with shouldering responsibilities towards citizens

Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi on Thursday said that the Government is moving ahead with steady steps in complementing its Ministerial Statement according to priorities and capabilities available and provide all citizens' needs. In a speech before the People's Assembly, al-Halqi highlighted that Syria is fighting international terrorism exported to it from 40 countries through the supplies of money and arms to the terrorist groups. He stressed the government's full support for the Syrian army "being the only guarantor of the homeland and citizens' security", saying that despite the fact the armed terrorist groups are going on with their terrorism to exhaust the Syrian economy, "yet, we will move ahead to foil these plots." The premier noted that the ministerial committee in charge of implementing the political program to solve the crisis in Syria has already held more than 35 meetings with most parties and societal spectra in Damascus and the other provinces. The premier assured that the navigation movement at the ports of Lattakia and Tartous is quite good, stressing that ships are waiting to unload their cargos of imported goods of living needs for citizens. He pointed out that the government has made a decision to buy ten civil planes to facilitate services for citizens. As for the oil, al-Halqi affirmed that the refineries of Homs and Baniyas are able to secure a large part of the citizens' needs of oil derivatives, while the rest is being imported from friendly countries. He also stressed that a new gas filling station in Jamraya in Damascus Countryside after Adra station went out of service. The Prime Minister assured that the workshops for fixing electricity network repairs are working around the clock to ensure that power is available in all areas, adding that the government is continuing efforts to secure the highest percentages of water despite the continued terrorist attacks against pumping stations. Premier al-Halqi affirmed that the education, health and communications sectors are steadfast despite all challenges imposed by the acts of terrorism and the economic sanctions. He noted that the issue of abduction, regarding which a law was recently issued, is considered one of the priorities of the judicial system in as much as corruption is an important priority for the Control and Inspection Department at the Ministry of Justice. Al-Halqi reiterated that the government is shouldering its national responsibility to secure temporary residential places for people affected by the events whose number hit 169,000, noting that a total of SYP 30 billion was dedicated for providing living requirements at these places for this year. The Premier pointed out that the government is working to secure all requirements for wheat planting, expecting that more than 2.5 million tons of wheat will be stored this season. Syrian MPs discussed the government's  measures to overcome the difficulties and obstacles imposed by the crisis and best means to improve the livelihood of the citizens. They called for providing the needed medicines and  vaccines for citizens to put an end to the spreading of some diseases and epidemics. Other MPs called for asking the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria about the measures taken to curb the rise of the Dollar price against the Syrian pound, punishing the corruptors. They appealed to solving the problem of the abducted, missing people  and the displaced who were forced to leave their homes by the armed terrorist groups.